Connections
by alycenwonder
Summary: Nettie is special, Leila knows that. But how long can they hide her before people start to notice? Co-Written with Realm1993. Damon/OC and Klaus/OC lemons later on.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is going to be very special! Co-Written with Realm1993. We will both have our own OC. Mine will be Nettie/Nettle and Realm1993 will be writing for her OC Leila! This is one hundred percent 50/50. Please review and let us know just what you think!**

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><p><strong>Chapter one:<strong>

It was the way it was. She'd watched from outside her window all night as the girl with brown hair held and comforted the blond. Matt did everything he could to cheer up the crying female.

The faces of those three people, sitting outside the house she lived across from, looking as if their whole world was falling apart around them, were familiar faces. Leila had seen them many times at school, passing them by in the hallways, or sitting at the table across from them at lunch. She may have even been in a few classes with them, though she hadn't taken too much notice of them.

But that night had been different. Something had made Leila curious, made her feel like she should have been out there comforting the blond girl too. Her sadness was projected like a contagious virus. She couldn't help but feel down and blue, despite not actually being with the small group herself. Leila couldn't help but wonder what had happened. It must have been something terrible to keep the three friends crying into the middle of the night.

A knocking came at her door suddenly, and Leila jumped, turning around in her seat in front of her desk.

"What is it?" Nettie muttered, leaning against the door frame. She was tired and it showed in the lines on her face.

Leila looked back at her and sighed. "I wonder what happened? Caroline's out there crying with Elena and Matt."

Nettie walked over to the window to see what Leila was going on about. She knew the girl's outside the window well. At least their faces. They were around school, here and there. But she never felt much of an urge to meet them. She was a bit of a loner, aside from Leila there was no one she cared to speak to. But Leila had noticed them too and was curious.

"Think we should say something? Maybe see if they're okay?" Leila turned back in her seat to look out the window once more. She frowned. "Wait, they're gone?"

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><p>The night had been long. Nettie hadn't slept much, thinking about her friends face earlier. She needed something she wasn't getting from her. The thought of new friends made Nettie uncomfortable. But for Leila she would do anything. She was the only real family Nettle had in this world.<p>

She could hear Leila's breath behind her as she sat on their shared window sill. The house wasn't a mansion. They had what they needed. And if Nettie was honest, she loved sharing a room with Leila. She felt like she could protect her friend better that way. Not that she knew what there was out there that would require her protection. But the feeling was there in the background of her mind.

Leila stirred under her covers, turning to look up at the open window. "What are you doing?" She murmured, watching her friend stare out into the darkness.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep Lei." Nettie said, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"You are such a weirdo. We have a long day tomorrow. Come back to bed." Leila said, throwing a pillow at her friend.

The girls giggled, and, smiling wide, Nettle hopped off the window sill and sat down on the bed next to Leila, handing her the pillow back. "Goodnight, Leila."

"Night, Weirdo." Leila whispered, pulling her blankets up higher.

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><p>Leila clutched her backpack tight in her hands as she exited the high school with Nettie. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd be able to spot Elena, Caroline or Matt. She kind of wanted to ask them what had happened... Leila sighed, her shoulders slumped. She'd do what she always did: Just watch, because it seemed more comfortable from a distance.<p>

"You're looking for them again." Nettle said, watching her friends face carefully.

"… Maybe." Leila looked at Nettie from the corner of her eye. "You're not the least bit curious?"

"Not really. But if you are.." She would make the effort. Even if she felt like her heart would explode. Her nerves got to her, this was one of those times.

Leila rose her eyebrows at her friend. She could tell something was off, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. She looked back to the crowd of students, searching for one of the three who'd been outside last night.

When Leila finally did spot Elena, she was climbing into a Chevy Camaro Convertible.

"Well, guess I'm not asking Elena about Caroline... It's probably better I don't anyway. Probably would have been weird." Leila looked to Nettle with a half-smile.

"Well I am sure Caroline is fine. She is dramatic enough for all of us Lei. Today she will be happy, tomorrow sad." Nettie told her friend. She felt her breathing slow upon the realization that she didn't have to socialize.

"You're right." Leila gave her a full-on toothy grin. Leila looked to the powder-blue convertible again, and watched as it turned out of the parking lot, the driver a young man with hair as dark as midnight and a smirk that made Leila feel uneasy.

"We should get ready for tonight. If you are still sure you want to even go?" Nettie asked, hoping the answer would be no. She wasn't to keen on showing off any type of skin to anyone. She liked the comfort of baggy clothes. People paid her less attention that way.

"Well, I think whether or not I want to go is really the issue. I'm a part of the founding families... And I mean, I don't really see the harm in it anyway." Leila twirled. "Fancy ball gowns and dancing? It'll be fun."

"Fine. We go. But I am not dancing." Nettie grumbled, pulling her books tighter towards her chest.

Leila giggled. "We'll just have to see about that."

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><p>The two girls pulled themselves from Leila's beater car. The pain was chipping off the front but Nettie told her friend that this added life to the old girl. Who wanted new, shiny and boring? Not Nettie.<p>

"Ugh I hate this already." Nettle grumbled again for the hundredth time. Why, why, why did they have to do this? She didn't know. But she did it anyways. For Leila.

"Is it the heels? Or the skirts?" Leila laughed. "You'll be fine. You don't even have to mingle if you don't want to. Just stand at the punch bowl and smile." Leila dusted off her dress, shaking the skirts a bit.

"It's the heels and the skirts. And this!" She stared down the dress uncomfortably. "You can see things! It's awful." She winced as her friend grinned in return. She could see Leila was loving every second of her torture.

"Gotta make the boys turn their heads, Nettie. I mean, you're pretty enough as it is. You don't need fancy dresses and make-up to do that. But still, you can't say that it isn't a little fun." Leila grabbed Nettie's hand and tugged gently. "C'mon. Let's get inside, see what everyone is up to."

"Do we have to?" Nettle waited but her friend's silence told her what she wanted to know. They were going inside. They were going to dance and do cheesy things. And Nettie was going to vomit. "Party on." She said under her breath as Leila walked her up the steps.

The girls walked inside, into a large room filled almost to the point of discomfort with people. She could feel the nervousness radiating off of Nettie beside her.

Leila looked around, seeing who exactly had attended this unexpected ball. "Oh, look it's Elena." Leila stood on her tiptoes as a man with golden-brown hair walked in her line of sight. He headed over to Elena and they started talking. "Wasn't he on the football team a little while ago?"

"Maybe. How would I know?" Nettie asked her, raising her brow. She most certainly had seen the guy. But past the hallways she wouldn't know.

Leila shrugged. She pursed her lips, her eyes widening, at another man approaching Elena. The three conversed for only a moment before she took the arm of both men and walked closer to the spiraling staircase to the left side of the room.

"Someone's popular with the men," Leila said, almost as an afterthought.

"Yuck." Nettle watched the two lead Elena away. She wasn't really sure what to make of them. But something was off. At least when she was near them.. She felt something. She couldn't explain it. She had this stuff happen every now and then. She shrugged it away. It never lead her anywhere anyways. Would she even really want to know?

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><p>Leila did her duty as a descendant of the Founding Families by mingling and chatting on a grander scale than she knew Nettie would ever feel comfortable doing. After a while, she retreated back to her friend's little hideaway. A man cleared his throat, and everyone looked up to him where he stood on the stairs.<p>

"Uh... If everyone could gather please."

Leila and Nettie looked up to the voice to find the man standing with his entire family: Three other men and a young woman. At least she was sure they were related even though two of them were fairer haired.

Nettie looked up, placing her punch glass down on the white table beneath her. She had camped out there a while as her friend mingled. She had wondered how long it would take for Leila to wander off on her. But it was alright. She had a mischievous plan. Just as her friend distracted herself, Nettle poured an entire bottle of Vodka into the pink mixture. She ran her finger lightly through the strange brew, before turning her back on it.

But as Leila joined her the fun was ruined and replaced by something else. The Mikaelson's.

"Welcome. Thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

A woman came down the steps then, probably their mother. She had a sort of aura about her that made Leila feel as if the woman felt she was better than everyone else, even though she probably would come off as modest and charitable to most.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

"Nooo." Nettie whined under her breath. She was hoping to escape at this point.

"Yessss." Leila took Nettle by the hand and dragged her along with her, into the mass of moving bodies. Already, Leila herself was feeling a high, a feeling she got when she actually took a leap and interacted with others during dances and parties and other social events.

Leila looked to Nettie and shrugged. "I should have gotten us dates... Or at least some guys who'd dance with us."

"No. You should have gotten you a date and left me at home." Nettie said, inching away from her friend, towards the punch table. If she could just slip away without Leila noticing she would be home free. She might even be able to slip her stupid heels off back at the car..

Leila sighed with a smile. "You don't have to dance, Nettie, you know that, right? I, on the other hand, really, really want to... I need a partner..." Leila's eyes darted back and forth across the room, searching for someone who deemed a reasonable dance partner.

Nettie watched as her friend scanned the room. She didn't get it.. Her need to interact with them. But it was there even if she feared it.

Nettie sighed, slipping away swiftly. She hobbled out the big doors and away from all the happy frolicking. If she could just make it to their car...

Leila took a deep breath before walking straight into the crowd. She grabbed the hand of the first person without a partner she could find and started twirling about to the music. After a while, she picked Elena and the dark haired man out in the crowd... It was kind of simple, to pick them out amongst the dancers. Elena and the man stood out like sore thumbs...

And they were sort of arguing, not that very many people had noticed. She quickly pushed him away, a look of anguish written on her face as she stormed from the dance floor.

The dark haired man looked upset Leila decided as she ignored her dance partner. He was breathing on her and smelled awful.

Leila was more than glad when the dance called for a change of partners. She was spun into the chest of another man. His eyes still lay on the doorway that Elena had fled through, but he danced anyways. Why? Leila wasn't so sure. But she did wonder if she cared?

Damon watched after the doppelganger. He thought of her that way at first, on purpose. But lately he was leaning towards a different feeling. She was ruining everything for him. How was he supposed to make his brother's life hell now? It would break her heart.

He felt himself move on the stiff floor beneath him, cluing in finally that he had a new partner. His eyes trailed her wavy, auburn hair, till his eyes finally met hers.

"This isn't right." Damon said without thinking. "I'm still dancing."

"What was that?" The girl looked up to Damon, with her eyebrows knit in an upside 'v'.

"Why am I still dancing. I should be chasing, not dancing. I should be out there ruining my brothers night." He continued to talk, as if to himself. He could always glamor the girl later.

He did this often. He would tell everything to some random person only to take the memory of it away later. Did it make him feel any better? No. But who else was there? He had no one to talk to.

The girl bit down on her pink, bottom lip. "Uh... Well, it is a party... Why ruin it for your brother?"

"Why not ruin it?" Damon raised his eyebrow at her. Of course she didn't understand it.. His issues with Stefan. Who would?

"Well... He's your brother... Shouldn't you want him to be happy? No matter what? That's what siblings are for... Right?" The girl shrugged as he spun her once.

"Do you have a brother?" He realized he hadn't asked her for a name. But he didn't normally care that much.

"No, but I have a sister... Well, she was adopted, but she's my sister all the same."

"Well.. It isn't the same. Did your sister steal the person you love? Did she turn you into a vampire and leave you to fend for yourself?" He said the words without thinking. He stared down at her. He demanded an answer!

The girl's grip on Damon's hand loosened slightly. He could sense her heartbeat racing, see the nervousness creep into the expression she was wearing on her delicate face.

The girl swallowed hard, "Okay. Well.. If I was turned into a vampire I suppose I might be a little upset. But maybe.. Maybe there would be things that came along with that which would be kinda... Cool?" She swallowed hard.

Damon stopped. Did she believe him? How could she possibly believe him?

"And... As far as stealing the person you love..." She sighed. "She's the only one I've ever loved as much as I do. We fight, yeah. But Nettie is everything to me."

"I don't even know how to answer that." She obviously didn't get it.. At least he didn't think so. As the song ended he let her go. He wondered if he should remove the memory of their conversation? He had told her he was a vampire and she had believed him. At least he thought so. It didn't matter.. Elena was probably upstairs with Esther.. A woman that Damon was sure was not to be trusted.

"Nice talking with you?" He asked the girl, waiting for her name.

"Leila... And you to...?" She shrugged with a shy smile.

"Damon Salvatore." He said, eying her strangely. It wasn't often he was left with questions. At least not with humans.


	2. Chapter 2

**This story is going to be very special! Co-Written with Realm1993. We will both have our own OC. Mine will be Nettie/Nettle and Realm1993 will be writing for her OC Leila! This is one hundred percent 50/50. Please review and let us know just what you think!**

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><p><strong>Chapter two:<strong>

Klaus walked down the staircase as the teenagers and adults around him made their way towards the dance floor. It wasn't something he understood. The need to dance. At least not these days. There were more interesting things out there to entertain a person. His eyes moved to Caroline as she swirled around a blond boy.

He felt his face grow hot. He hated the way he needed her. He didn't know why..

"You watch after the blond girl again." Elijah said, taking his spot beside NIklaus.

"Waste of my time really." Klaus lied to his brother.

"It isn't a bad thing you know. You are drawn to good even when you lean towards bad." His brother smiled knowingly. Even when he and his brother fought he still truly saw him for what he was. A lost child. "She shines bright amongst the rest."

Nettie shuffled her way out the large doorway and quickly towards the way outside. She had made it! Freedom. She walked out into the night and scanned the area.

As she made for the stairwell down to the cars she tripped on her dresses, twisting her heel. "God dammit!" She mumbled angrily, taking a seat on the nearest bench.

Niklaus let his eyes wander, allowing them to fall on a blond girl on the nearest bench. Her hair wasn't curly like Caroline's. She wasn't as tall. But there was something he couldn't look away from as she sat muttering obscenities to herself.

"What is that?" Elijah asked his brother, perking up as he took in the air around them. Something sweet drifted past him as they spoke. But it was enough to notice.

"...Something... odd." Klaus narrowed his eyes at the girl and lifted his chin as he watched his brother walk down the rest of the stairwell, in her direction.

"Stupid goddam shoes. Who wears these things? I hate you!" She stammered, pulling the things from her feet grumpily. When she finally managed it she began throwing her shoes into the nearest bush. One by one they hit the wet plants behind her.

Elijah smiled to himself as he watched the girl chuck her shoes away.

He stopped walking when he stepped down on the stair above the one she was sitting on.

The girl looked up at him over her shoulder almost immediately. "You want them? I'll bet you do. They went that way." She told Elijah, pointing towards the bushes.

"Why is it that a young woman like yourself is out here all alone? You're missing all the dancing." He didn't care why she was out here. Anyone could figure it out. Maybe he just had to hear the girl speak a bit longer.

"Because dancing is stupid. Because heels and dresses are stupid." She said, forgetting that she did not know the man. She reached down to her swollen ankle a moment, wincing as she did so. Her hand heated at the touch and she knew it was done. "I'm going to my car. I'm putting on pants and runners. Then I am going back inside to talk my friend into leaving."

"So soon? That is a real shame." Elijah narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly at the girl. "At least let me walk with you to your car. The darkness is full of unexpected dangers."

She mumbled under her breath as she stood up onto her feet. The pain in her ankle gone as if it were never there. "I'm not an invalid. I certainly don't need help changing." She just wanted to be left alone. She didn't care that he was mildly attractive. She never cared.

"I truly hope I did not insult you. I will leave you be then, Miss? Thank you for stopping by, and thank your friend as well, for my family and I." He watched as she continued her angry mumbling, huffing as she shrugged him off. He had hoped to get a name but had not been so lucky.

Nettie pulled the car door open and shoved herself inside it. It was a rather ridiculous thing if you had been lucky enough to watch it. The dress so poof it barely fit inside the small metal object. But eventually she managed to get changed, climbing back out into the cool night air.

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><p>Leila nonchalantly strolled out of the ballroom after Damon, a few minutes after he'd left. She had to tell Nettie. She just had to! A vampire?! What had he been talking about?! Was it all real?<p>

"Nettie?" Leila called softly, as she walked over to the punch bowl, where she figured her sister would be.

Nope. She wasn't there.

Leila let her eyes wander the large, bright room. She couldn't help but feel like she was being watched, or even worse, being looked at as a target now that possibly Damon's secret was out.

Nettie made her way up the stone steps, not seeing the weird, proper man from earlier. She sighed to herself. She was so happy to avoid him.

Opening the door to go find Leila, Nettie blinked twice to find her friend standing right in front of her, hair a mess and face flushed. Leila's eyes looked a little wild.

"What happened to you? You fall down the staircase?" She asked her as she looked Leila up and down a few times. Nothing exciting ever happened to them.

"...I have to tell you something... But you'll probably think I've gone crazy." Leila frowned. "I don't exactly know if I believe it myself..."

"Elena exploded and everyone left the party? We get to leave early!" Nettie said excitedly, raising her fist into the air. But Leila's face didn't change. She didn't laugh or sigh in exasperation like she normally would.

"I'm serious this time, Nettie." Leila took Nettie's arm and leaned in to whisper in her ear, eyes darting across the room a few times before speaking. "Someone just told me that he's a vampire."

"Oh. Right." Nettie said, sighing as she realized what was going on. "Stefan, right?"

Leila blinked twice, staring Nettle in the eyes. "Wait, what? Why Stefan?" Leila scratched the back of her head. "And... you didn't laugh at me."

"Because. You know me, I feel things. Peoples health.. Their state of minds. He doesn't have one. He's pretty blank all the time. That isn't normal Lei."

Leila looked down at their feet, tapping her toe against Nettie's runners. "Well, it wasn't Stefan... It was another man. Remember the guy who we saw driving Elena home this morning?"

"Yep. The dark and broody dude." She nodded.

"Well, you see, we danced and he seemed really upset about something... Well, I don't know why, but he was confiding in me..." Leila shook her head. "Why would he just tell me that and let me walk away? Do you really think it's true?"

"What am I Lei?" She asked, a look of worry on Nettie's face as she asked her question. The same question she and Leila had asked each other a million times over. "Why am I the way I am? Am I possible?"

"I guess you have a point..." Leila hugged herself. "But if you were Damon, would you just tell me your deepest, darkest secret and let me go without doing something about it? I'm kind of scared..."

"I don't know. I would assume by the look of the guy that he has his own things to deal with. Maybe we will get lucky and he will forget about you." Nettle hoped so.

Leila glanced at the staircase going up to the second floor. "I wonder where he left to in such a hurry...?"

Nettie's ears perked up. "Why would you worry?" She asked her friend.

Leila opened her mouth to answer, but immediately shut it. She shrugged. "You know I'm too curious for my own good."

"So we go up there and see what's up." Nettie grabbed her by the arm and began pushing her towards the stairs. "Common, you lead the way."

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><p>Leila and Nettle walked as quietly as they could through the hallway. Leila stopped, Nettle bumping into her ruffled skirts, at the sound of a voice.<p>

"Good evening. You're Rebekah's friend. We haven't met."

Leila pressed herself against the wall and peeked slightly around the corner.

"He isn't even here." Nettie began to speak but Leila's hand flew up to quiet her. Nettie huffed, leaning back so that the two men wouldn't see them. She hated being shushed. It never mattered who did it. "Fine. We'll listen to the boring people talk."

"Yeah, uh.. I am Matt Donavan." The blonde boy said back, unsure if he should be alone with Kol. The smile he wore screamed untrustworthy. As he took Kol's hand he began to regret it.

"Kol Mikaelson." Kol squeezed Matt's hand tightly.

Matt screamed in agony and Leila tensed beside Nettie. But Nettie had trouble focusing as she winced against the wall. It was as if she could feel the bones cracking in Matt's hand.

Before either of them could focus Damon came flying out of the hallway behind them towards Kol. "Hey, hey, hey..." Damon stopped behind Kol. "Easy on the hand. Guy's a quarterback."

Before Kol even had a moment to react, Damon shoved him. Matt stepped out of the way, cradling his mangled hand, his face a mask of pure pain.

Leila stepped away from the wall, and Matt looked up to her. Leila's heart skipped a beat as Damon pushed Kol over the edge of the balcony and jumped down after him.

Nettie's head cleared as she stared in shock, her hand on her forehead. Leila jumped up and ran towards Matt without thinking. "Nettie! Nettie!" Leila wasn't too sure what was going on. She wasn't positive she even wanted to know. But one thing was certain, Matt was badly injured, and the only person Leila could think of to help him out was Nettle.

"No." Nettie said, shaking her head stubbornly. "No, Lei! We got our answer. Now we go." She backed up down the hallway. She didn't need this, not now. In front of people who would remember. There was no way she was helping. Besides, what had Matt ever done for her?

"Who are you two? What are you doing here? You should go." Matt shook his head.

Leila looked Matt in the eyes. "No, you're hurt." She looked over her shoulder, to the edge of the balcony where Damon had pushed Kol over. She bit her bottom lip, then snapped her head in Nettie's direction. "Fine. I'll take him down there." Leila hoped that this would snap Nettle out of her stubborn daze.

But it didn't. Nettie shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest as her friend walked with Matt back down the stair case.

The entire Mikaelson clan stood below, watching as the two came towards them. Stefan took over quickly, helping Matt down onto the stair. "Kol broke his hand." Leila said, "Damon stopped him." She felt the need to stand up for the vampire.

"Then he threw him over the fence and broke his neck." Nettie added. "Sucha fun guy Lei." She was pissed right off that she had been brought anywhere near this.

"Kol did this?" Esther asked, looking back at her children.

"I think I know what happened mother. I am so sorry." Rebekah told her, "Kol was upset with you. He wanted to ruin your party. I thought I had talked him out of it."

"Enough!" Elena stammered, moving towards Matt. "Stefan you have to help him. How can he play now?"

"...I'm not too sure I'm comfortable with that, Elena..." Matt said softly, wincing at the slightest touch to his hand.

"...But, Matt..."

"Elena. I'm not drinking Stefan's blood." Matt was being stubborn on the matter. Leila could tell he wasn't going to get help from Stefan, Damon, or the Mikaelsons.

"Nettie can help you." Leila said again, this time giving her friend a stern look. The look that said, 'do it or I will kill you.'

"What? What can she do?" Matt croaked, looking up at Nettle.

"This is what you want?" Nettie asked Leila. "You want me to out myself in front of these.. Things?" She asked.

Leila could almost feel what Nettie was feeling just from the look in her friend's eyes. She couldn't just leave a good person like Matt in a situation... But then again, she knew nothing about these people... These vampires.

Leila swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah."

Nettie sighed, kneeling down to Matt's level. "Kay look football. This isn't going to be all rainbows and sunshine. When I do this it will hurt." She told him, watching his eyes for understanding.

Matt nodded slowly. "What are you?"

"Who knows. Maybe I am some kind of cave dwelling troll." When she looked up at him she tried her best to smile. Obviously she wasn't a cave dwelling troll. As he began to smile back she grabbed his hand.

Slowly her hands warmed, a small white light enveloping it. A loud crack could be heard in the silence around them as the hand knit itself back together. Matt cried out loudly putting his head down against his chest.

She felt each individual person's glare on her back as she ground her teeth together. Although she did not feel the exact pain that Matt did, she felt something close to it. Her head felt hot and sweaty as she released him, stumbling back onto the floor.

"Nettie!" Leila fell to her knees beside her friend and cradled her.

Elena covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide.

"This is rather interesting," Klaus said on a breath. He began to think of all the ways this may be useful to him.

"Indeed it is, my son." Esther's lips were pursed in a tight line across her face. She watched the small girl. She watched her hands as she performed her magic and she watched as whatever she had done took it's toll. This was not something a witch could do. At least not this way. Was there something else other then her family that she had to worry about?

"Come on, we are leaving." Elena said, leading Leila and her friend away from the crowd. Stefan walked behind them, making sure that they were safe. Once they were far enough away Elena spoke again. "What was that?" She asked.

Leila swallowed. She'd known this would come up one way or another. The only thing was, neither she nor Nettie knew exactly what all that was, either. "We don't know," Leila said, hearing a bit of a panic in her tone, though she couldn't figure out exactly why that was. Maybe she was afraid of how the vampires might react?

"She smells different." Stefan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "She isn't human. At least not completely." He looked back at Elena.

"What do you mean she isn't human? She is clearly human." Leila said, standing up for her friend. "She's just different."

"No. Witches are different." He fought back, "Traveler's are different.. But she is not human. There's no way." He had never seen a witch or a traveler who smelled like Nettie did.

"It's fine Lei. I'm fine." Nettie said, shrugging Leila's hands from her body. "I don't need you to stand up for me this time. I want to hear what he has to say."

Leila sighed, feeling almost bad that all this happened now that it was over with, but at the same time, she almost felt relief. If Stefan had even the littlest explanation to what was going on with her sister, then she was all ears. "Okay." She looked to Stefan expectantly. "Would you mind telling us more?"

"I can't tell you anymore then that." He shrugged. He hadn't smelled anything like it before. Ever.

"So that's it? That is all you can tell us?" Leila asked, getting a bit angry.

"You walked into all this. Not the other way around." He snapped back.

Elena looked up to Stefan with lips parted in surprise. "Stefan..." She frowned, giving the girls an apologetic look.

Leila shook her head. "No, he's right." Leila looked to Nettie. "It's probably best we get going."

"No. No wait." Elena said, stopping them. "You have to understand what just happened in there. When you did what you did.. You showed yourself to the Original vampires."

"They aren't going to understand." Stefan cut in.

"Stefan!" She scolded him again, "Look.. There are things.. Bad things in Mystic Falls. They are part of those things. Now that they have seen what you did back there I fear that they would try to hurt your sister."

Leila and Nettle exchanged looks. "What do we do?"

"You stick with us. You saved one of my best friends.. " Elena looked at Nettle as she spoke. "Together we will protect what's ours."


	3. Chapter 3

**This story is going to be very special! Co-Written with Realm1993. We will both have our own OC. Mine will be Nettie/Nettle and Realm1993 will be writing for her OC Leila! This is one hundred percent 50/50. Please review and let us know just what you think!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter three:<strong>

Leila looked at her sister. It'd been a long weekend for the both of them. Not only did they have the Original Vampires on their minds, but now Elena and her friends wanted to help them, and Leila almost felt bad about that.

She'd never meant to get directly involved in the lives of the people she just sat and observed for so long. It was a scary thought. And on top of that, she knew Nettie didn't really like socializing, and this was kind of throwing her straight into the lion's den.

Elena had exchanged phone numbers with Leila that night, telling her to call if any of the Original's happened to show up at their doorstep. She hadn't heard from them since, but she wasn't expecting the silence to last much longer.

"So we have to invite them in?" That seemed super silly to Nettie. "So as long as we stay inside we are safe?" She asked Leila.

"I mean, I guess they can't physically get inside... Doesn't mean they can't throw a grenade or something." Leila shivered at the thought.

"A grenade? Really? They have grenades?" Nettle sat back against her usual spot on the window sill. "I want grenades."

"I don't know if they have grenades, Nettie... It was just an example." Leila blew a tuft of hair out of her face, half-smiling.

Nettie watched Leila carefully. She could see the worry hidden inside her. She had exposed herself to some dangerous people and now her friend was paying the price. That had never been her intention.

"Maybe we could run. It's not like your mom would care." Nettie said finally breaking the silence.

Leila seemed a little surprised by Nettie's comment. "She's never at home, yeah, but it doesn't mean she wouldn't care. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have adopted you. I wouldn't have you."

"Okay so we don't run." She shrugged herself further into the pillow beneath her. "That means befriending those people.." She didn't want friends. But was there any other choice? She wasn't so sure.

"...I know you're uneasy about this... I don't exactly like the idea of becoming friends with the same things that might want us for their own evil doings either... But Elena seems to be okay... She's human... She's like us, right? If they don't hurt her, they wouldn't harm us... I guess..." Leila sighed and drew a hand over her face.

"We can't know that. But I can't say I am not interested in learning more about them." How had Elena and Stefan hidden away for so long?

"Yeah, they've got me curious too... Maybe they can help us figure out what's up with your healing abilities? The strange things that happen to you?" Leila shrugged one shoulder.

Nettle wasn't so sure she wanted to know. But maybe it was time to smell the roses. She couldn't hide forever. Not now.

Leila jumped slightly in her seat at the sound of her phone vibrating on the desk beside her. She quickly snatched it up and checked the caller ID.

Leila looked to Nettle. "It's Elena. Should I answer?"

"Oh you want me to lie?" She teased. She sat foreword on the bench. "Answer it."

Leila took a deep breath before answering. She put the phone to her ear and looked at Nettie as she spoke. "Hello?" She sat the phone on the table and set it to speaker phone so Nettie could hear the conversation.

"Hey, Leila?" She asked, not so sure she had the right number. "It's Elena. You need to come to the boarding house so we can talk about some things."

"Uh... Oh, okay... We'll need directions... Or someone to pick us up I guess." Leila shrugged at Nettie.

"No.. I know the way." Nettie said, surprising Leila.

"Oh... Okay then." Leila shook her head, with a look that said, 'Wait. How?' written on her face. "Nettie will get us there, I guess. We'll see you in a bit?"

"Sorry.. I uh. I like the architecture?" She really didn't have a real reason. Just that she had been drawn to the place. Or the woods nearby. On the days Leila stayed late at school, Nettie had gone walking out there.

"All right. We'll see you." Elena hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>They pulled into the driveway of the boarding house. The gravel crushed under the crappy tires of the beater car. It screeched to a halt as the girls sat back as if waiting for something.<p>

"So this is it?" Leila asked Nettle. "We are going in there. You are okay with that?"

"I guess I am going to have to be okay with it. No promises." Nettie told her friend. What other choice did they have?

"All right then. Here we go." Leila unbuckled herself and climbed out of the car, Nettie following suit. The girls walked slowly up to the large front door of the Salvatore Boarding House and looked at the rustic door knocker. Leila grasped it tight in her hands, taking a moment before slamming it against the old wood a few times. She dropped the metal handle quickly.

Elena smiled out at them as the door open wide. The smile was tainted with a hint of distress, though, Nettie could tell clearly. "Come in." She muttered, moving from the door frame.

"This place is huge." Nettie whispered. "Oh! Look, shiny things!" She said excitedly, moving towards a sword over the mantle.

Leila held her hand out to her sister, but she was already out of reach. "Uhhh..." Leila sighed with a slight smile. "Only you, Nettie," she said, mostly to herself.

Leila looked around the hallway, noticing a huge room to her right, where she found Damon and Stefan lounging on the couch.

"Do you mind my asking why exactly you wanted us to come here?" Leila looked to Elena. "I'm not trying to sound rude. It's just... We're walking into a stranger's home and we don't know why." She tried so hard to ignore Nettie who was now jumping as high as she could to try and get the sword down.

"We said we'd try to keep you two safe... We wanted to talk about a few things regarding that amongst other subjects," Elena replied. Elena's eyes moved to the blonde, leaping up and down. "Uhh... What is she doing?"

"Nettie likes shiny things and sharp things... She's an odd person..."

"Ah. I see that." Elena turned and smiled widely as the small blonde was pushed aside by Damon.

"No touching." He said, smirking at her. He wagged his finger in her face. "Danger. Sharp."

"But I want to see it!" She said back, making grumpy faces at the broody dark haired dude.

Leila took another moment to look at the home before being ushered by Elena towards a seat in front of the huge fireplace. "Nice home," Leila said on a breath. It was an understatement.

"Yep. It's old." Elena said, still distracted by Damon and Nettie. "Look.. We need your help. Niklaus and Elijah are going to come for you. They want to use your sister to help them fight Esther."

"How can she help fight Esther?" Leila asked, confused. She shook her head. "What exactly happened yesterday for you to know this?"

"Long story," Stefan cut in. "But it doesn't really matter now. We need to keep everyone safe. Klaus and Elijah... Hell, all the Mikaelson vampires, are dangerous beyond your understanding."

"Wouldn't they be after Damon?" Leila asked. "Didn't he kill Kol last night." She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Murdering people..

"Kol can't die." Elena giggled as she said it. "He's one of the Original Vampires. He can't die, period."

"I stand to correct you, missy." Damon came in, towing Nettie behind him. "There's always a way. We're just yet to find it."

"As of now, the only way we've found to deal with them is with the wood from the White Oak tree that was used in their creation," Stefan explained.

"Whoa, whoa. We are not killing anyone." Leila said, shaking her head. "we didn't sign up for murder."

"We didn't sign up for anything." Nettie reminded her. "Please can I at least just touch it?" She said, changing the subject randomly as she stared back at Damon.

Damon gave a loud, annoyed, sigh and rolled his eyes. "For the love of-"

"Nettie, sit down. You can touch it later." Leila said, exasperation in her tone.

"Dammit!" She said, dropping down into the couch next to Leila. "This is boring!"

Leila patted Nettie's leg, smiling at Elena and Stefan sincerely. "Ignore her. She gets like this sometimes."

"Okay I'll wait." Nettie said. She looked up at Elena with serious eyes, "Who are we killing?"

Leila's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Nettie!" She frowned deeply. "How could you say that?"

"What! We are here. I am bored. I want that shiny sword! If I do what they want I get it. Right?" Nettie raised a brow at Damon. He smiled back at her oddly. "See! Okay! So who are we killing?"

Leila sat silently, fidgeting with the bangle on her wrist, a frown on her face. "Go ahead, tell us. What do you want us to do exactly?"

"We just need to make sure that whatever Esther does.. We don't interfere." Stefan told them.

"No! Hang on a second." Elena snapped back. "They are all linked. We can't kill them all. Elijah doesn't deserve any of this. He helped me. He still helps me." She tried reminding him of that. But it had been a while since he seemed to care much.

"How many times do I have to tell you about collateral damage, Elena?" Damon interjected. "It's worth it to have Klaus gone for good."

Leila was beginning to feel mighty uncomfortable. They were talking so lightly of death and killing... That wasn't normal.

"What has he done?" Nettie asked them. Her mind was still fogged by the treasure on the mantle. But she was beginning to realize what they were really here for. "Why are we killing him? Why is it worth killing them all?"

Elena crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her feet.

Stefan sighed solemnly as he started to explain. "Klaus needs Elena's blood to make his hybrids... Half vampire, half werewolf creations that do whatever the hell he wants them to. He wants to take her and continuously drain her until he has an army."

"He murdered Jeremy.. He murdered Jenna." Elena told them. "He doesn't care about anyone or anything if it stands in his way. That is Klaus. He thinks he rules the world."

"Okay, so what about the others?" Leila asked them. Was it worth it? How many people died around Elena? Maybe she had been wrong getting them into all this.

* * *

><p>After about an hour of talking there was a knock at the boarding house door. "We aren't expecting anyone." Elena said, raising her brow at Stefan.<p>

She got up, heading for the door. "Elijah." She said cheerfully. She kept reminding herself that they couldn't really be friends. He could turn around and hurt her just as badly as Klaus. But even though she knew this, she still felt sorry for him. She had grown to care about the proper, well dressed Original vampire. Something about him made her smile. These days that was something special.

"What is it?" She asked him, plastering on her fake happy smile.

"Elena... I don't mean to intrude, but I was hoping you might accompany me. I want to show you something."

Elena thought hard on it for a moment. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, but Elijah had no clue that Esther was planning on killing him along with Klaus... And he'd been good to her, if anything up until that point.

"Okay. But Nettie comes to." That way if she was hurt she would have someone who would actually help her.

Elijah rose a brow, eyeing the strange girl sneaking into the hallway, looking up at an old sword hanging on the wall. She began hopping for it, trying to reach it. Elijah smirked. He could tell the others had forgotten the small blonde. "I don't see any harm in that..."

* * *

><p>The three misfits climbed out of the small beater car. Nettie loved every second of it. She was adamant that they take her and Leila's vehicle just so that she could see the proper Elijah Mikaelson inside the thing.<p>

"I'd forgotten how much I missed this land." Elijah said, straightening out as they walked along the line of trees.

"I can't even imagine what it must have been like a thousand years ago." Elena smiled a small smile at him.

"A thousand years?" She asked him curiously. Was he really that old? "Geezer status. Cool."

He shrugged her strange comment off and went on, "You know, your school was built over an Indian village. Where I saw my first werewolf. The town square was where the natives would gather to worship. Matter of fact, near that, there was a field where wild horses use to graze."

"That's incredible," Elena said, thinking about it.

"Did you eat them?" Nettie asked. She was hungry.. She could eat a horse right then.

"Nettle they did not eat the horses. Jesus!" Elena was shocked at the girl. She wasn't sure why at this point.

Elijah looked to the girls. "Come." He waved with his hand and they followed, the dried leaves crunching under their feet.

Elijah took them to a small clearing. It didn't look too different from the rest of the forest to Elena, but Nettie admired it greatly.

"Do you know this place too?" Elena asked.

"I do. Below us is a cavern I use to play in as a boy. Connects to a system of tunnels that stretch across the entire area. Perhaps it's nature's way of providing us with shelter against the savagery of the full moon. My mother said there must be a balance."

"She was right." Nettie spoke up. "There's some kind of magic here." The ground beneath her feet felt different.

"You can tell?" He raised his brow. She said the strangest things but under it all she was clearly special.

Nettie nodded.

Elena rubbed her arms, a chill blowing through the barren forest. "Elijah, we should probably go home."

"I admire you, Elena. You remind me of qualities I valued long before my mother turned us. It's not in your nature to be deceitful and yet when I asked about your meeting with my mother the other night, you lied to my face."

"That's not true. I told you that all your mother wanted was a new start."

"You like him." Nettie threw in, watching the two babble. "So why are you lying? I don't like it." It made her feel all icky. "Your mother is a crazy bitch." Nettie turned to Elijah. "Killing her entire family... Who does that?"

"I can hear your heartbeat. It jumps when you are dishonest with me. You lied to me at the ball, you are lying to me now. Tell me the truth. Even your friend knows that you are being deceitful."

"I never wanted this to happen..." Elena frowned.

"What, Elena?"

"We were told that whatever was going to be in that coffin was going to kill Klaus. When we found out that it was your mother... We didn't know what to think."

"Your all linked now. At the ball your mother slipped something into your wine... Surprise!" She shook her hands in the air. "Kill one, kill all."

"I'm so sorry, Elijah. I wish there was something I could do to help." Elena was pleading for his trust.

"You know, one thing I've learned in my time on this Earth... Be careful what you wish for." He broke a hole into ground and shoved Elena, tossing her into the darkness below. He looked up, but the other one was gone. Just like that. Into nothing.

* * *

><p>She pushed the doors open as she made for the bar. She was hoping to at least get a snack before Elena called her for a ride home. She had just left them there. But to be honest she hadn't been any closer to that damn sword. And Elijah was boring her.<p>

"Nettie!" Damon hissed beside her.

Nettie looked to her right to see Damon standing by the front door. He motioned with a cock of his head to follow him back outside. He put a finger to his lips, to tell her to keep her mouth shut.

She didn't want to, but she obliged anyway.

"What is it?" she asked when they exited. "I'm starving!"

"We need a little distraction." Damon gave her a smirk.

"I can eat though? Say it. Now, do it." She pressed him.

"Yes. You can eat." He told her, "But do it while you distract."

She rolled her eyes, bored. "Fine. But I get the shiny sword. Otherwise I walk away."

Damon put his hand on the small of her back and opened the door for her. "Whatever you want. Now go. We've got an Original to stake."


	4. Chapter 4

**This story is going to be very special! Co-Written with Realm1993. We will both have our own OC. Mine will be Nettie/Nettle and Realm1993 will be writing for her OC Leila! This is one hundred percent 50/50. Please review and let us know just what you think!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter four:<strong>

Damon gently pushed Nettie towards the door to the Grill as Leila came up the sidewalk, from the car. "Nettie!" Leila called to her sister.

Nettle turned slightly to look at her. "Lei?"

"Be careful," Leila said softly, a look of worry on her face.

Nettie rolled her eyes, of course she would be careful. When she had time to be of course. She pushed her way into the bar and wondered why they couldn't have come with her. Would Niklaus have ignored her?

Pulling up a seat at the bar she motioned for Matt. "I need fries. And onion rings.. And possibly an entire hot fudge sundae." Her face stayed dead serious as she glared up at him. "You think I am joking? I fixed your football hand! I need all those things, okay? I can pay."

He glared back at her as he cleaned a glass behind the bar. She was insane. He remembered now, seeing her in gym class or English. The girl was bonkers. But she seemed to function out in society somehow, right? So he placed her order.

She tapped her fingers on the bar, leaning on one hand. She felt starved. Why her friend hadn't thought to feed her sooner was a mystery to Nettle.

Niklaus and Kol entered The Grill, pushing past some of the regulars. His younger brother had been promised some mischief and Klaus was delivering. Why after his whole family had tried to kill him? Because for once, he forgave them. He missed them all.

"That one." Kol said, pointing towards the bar without waiting. "She is from last night, isn't she?" He began to move towards the new girl. But a stronger hand stopped him.

"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver." Klaus whispered, "We need her." He wasn't so sure that his plan would work. But until his plan failed he wouldn't let anyone take the mysterious girl and hurt her. He began to move towards the small blonde. Her scent hitting his nostrils as he neared her.

"Nettie!" He said enthusiastically. He took the nearest seat by the girl.

She sighed inwardly, turning her head. She still leaned hard against one hand in boredom. "Oh, it's you. From the terrible family ball."

"Ooh, come on love." Klaus commented, "I'm not as bad as they make me out to be. I am sure you have heard things."

"All hail the great and powerful Original Wiener." She rolled her eyes as Matt placed her sundae in front of her. She perked up immediately.

"Enjoy your sundae," Matt said, looking nervously at the Original sitting beside her. "Can I get you anything?"

"No. But I'll pay for whatever she is having." He said, smirking at Matt. The kid seemed useless. Always around and getting hurt. But he was good bait.

"Are you sure? She is eating the entire restaurant." Matt deadpanned before walking off. If the guy wanted to pay, let him. Douche wad.

"I can pay for my own food. You brothers are so quick to think a woman needs your help. Sheesh! If your brother wanted my shoes so badly all he had to do was ask." She mumbled on.

"Uh..." Niklaus took a moment to try to process her babbling, then gave up almost immediately. "Oh, love, I know you don't need my help. I just came over here to ask if you would join my brother and I for a drink?" He watched her bored eyes. One blue and one brown. Strange he thought, but really catching.

"I would rather die of thirst." She said back, shoving a large bite of ice cream into her gob.

"No, she wouldn't." Matt said, walking by again.

"Okay, maybe not thirst. But no. Eww." Nettie added, waving her hand in Nik's face. "Go away."

Klaus smiled as he got up from the girl's side. She intrigued him. He wasn't so sure she was sane. But that didn't seem to matter. He hadn't thought about Caroline in over twelve hours.

Nettie watched Klaus begin to walk away from the corner of her eye. Why exactly had she been distracting him? Damon had never given her a reason... Ah, well. What did it matter? That sword was hers now. She looked back to her food. That conversation hadn't been as bad as she'd anticipated...

Nettle sighed as she heard the door squeak open and then slam shut upon Klaus's exit. She munched on her onion rings a few minutes before someone sat down beside her. "Hey, Lei."

"Damon told me to wait in here..." Leila rubbed her arm. "I think they're going to really kill them," she said softly, so no one could here but Nettie.

"To bad. The one that was just here seemed so.. Nah. It doesn't really matter. Onion ring?" She wagged the fried ring in Leila's face. Lonely, that was the word she had been pondering. But why did she care? No.. She didn't care.

Leila plucked the ring from between Nettie's fingers and bit into it. Leila glanced strangely at her friend.

Nettie frowned. "What?!"

"What's going through that head of yours?"

"So many things..." She said, placing the empty ring box down on the bar. "I liked that sword, you know?" She really, really liked it, "But also.. Why would they be trying to kill them in public?" Outside The Grill in broad bloody daylight.

"Why would you say that?" Leila asked, raising a brow. They must be smarter than that, right?

"Because I can feel your lover boy getting all stabby out there." Nettle shrugged. "To be honest, it is a little uncomfortable. I just ate a bunch of food. Aren't you supposed to have like no stress after you eat? I'll get sick!"

Leila blushed, but at the same time looked slightly alarmed. She tried to ignore Nettle's comment about Damon. "Shouldn't we go see what's going on, then?"

"Stress? Are you trying to kill me?" Nettie demanded as Leila pulled her off the bar stool.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have ate. You should have known better." Leila shook her head and headed towards the front door. "Obviously if you're being bait, or a distraction, or whatever, you're going to have to get in on some of the action."

"Damon said I could eat!" Besides.. Without the sundae she was sure she would die of hunger. Leila didn't understand it.

* * *

><p>"Tell your sexy Doctor, good work." Damon muttered, smirking at Alaric who had just dropped Kol at his and Stefan's feet. The Original had a dagger through his heart.<p>

Before he was even able to blink, Alaric was thrown against the wall. Stefan made to attack Klaus, but the dagger was pulled from Kol's chest before he could even touch him.

Damon turned quickly as the back door of the Grill opened and he found Leila standing her, mouth agape. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Damon growled.

Klaus grabbed Stefan by the neck, ready to knock him out too. "I should have killed you two months ago.

"Do it!" Damon said, looking back to Klaus. "It's not going to stop Esther from killing you." Damon motioned with his hand behind his back to Leila to run.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "What did you say about my mother?"

"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy?"

Klaus tossed Stefan onto the ground.

Damon smirked. "Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do."

Damon braced himself as Klaus readied himself to attack. Relief washed over him when Elijah showed up out of nowhere.

"Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus," Elijah said. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Klaus turned to Elijah, a wild fire in his eyes. "What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?"

Elijah walked in Damon's direction. He held out his phone, Rebekah's number on the screen. "You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now."

Damon crossed his arms and frowned deeply. He found himself wondering if Leila had gone. "You told me we had until after nine."

"I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early." Elijah smirked.

* * *

><p>Nettie leaned against the hood of the beater car and watched as Leila approached, seeming a bit short of breath. Damon and Stefan came into view behind her only a few moments later.<p>

Leila had been adamant about sticking her nose where it shouldn't be, but Nettle hadn't been too fond of the idea. She'd just slipped away, to their car.

Damon and Stefan looked serious, like more serious than usual. "We're going for a little ride," Damon said.

Nettie shook her head. "I am not going with you." Her arms were crossed over her chest, "You promised me a sword. I don't see a sword. So I am going home. You two go."

Damon rolled his eyes and opened the door to his convertible parked behind the beater car. "Are you coming?" he asked Leila.

Leila looked to Nettie, then back to Damon. "Should I?"

"No." Damon sighed. "But you seem to do whatever the hell it is you want, anyway."

Leila frowned and climbed into the car. "Are you sure you're not coming, Nettie?" she asked out the window.

Nettie just nodded her head. She was to busy in her own head.

"Be back later," Stefan threw in before climbing into the car himself.

Nettie watched as Damon took off speeding down the road, hoping Leila would be okay.

* * *

><p>Nettle lay on the empty bed alone, twiddling her fingers as she thought about her day. Sure she didn't get the darn sword. But she felt like it hadn't been all for nothing.<p>

Her first instinct was normally to stick with Leila. But today she had really come out of her shell a bit. She even talked with a super dangerous original vampire.

She scratched her scalp and rolled over. She wondered about Klaus. He had the same look on his face upon hearing about his mother that she had many times when finding out there was no information on her birth parents. He was lonely just like her. Even with Leila there was something missing. Of course she would never admit that.

Why was she spending her time thinking about him? This wasn't normal for her. Maybe something was wrong with her? She didn't know. But relating to someone wasn't an everyday thing for Nettie.

She closed her eyes, waiting for Leila to get home. But she just couldn't wait any longer.

* * *

><p>It'd been a few days since Leila had heard from Elena. She hoped everyone was okay. She'd never experienced anything like the last couple days before in her life. How could she have changed her life and Nettie's so quickly with just one decision? Had it been a bad choice? Maybe she should have never asked Nettle to help Matt.<p>

But then, she wouldn't trade any of it away for anything... And Nettie actually seemed to be changing, for the better. She let Leila go off on her own, she interacted with people. Nettie was breaking from her cocoon.

Leila smiled at the thought, sitting at her kitchen table, waiting for Nettle to come down for lunch. She'd been a little spacey lately. Leila wondered what was on her friend's mind.

"Why are you smiling?" Nettle asked, yawning as she reached for a box of tea. She needed the caffeine this morning. She hadn't been sleeping great lately.

"Am I?" Leila picked up a spoon and looked at her upside down reflection. "Oh." Leila shook her head. "It's nothing... Make me some, would you?"

"Kay." Nettie poured boiling water into two cups and dropped red rose into them. "I keep thinking.. We are going to be done school soon. It's strange." In a way she was afraid of losing Leila. She was sure that soon her mother would kick them out. Nettie knew she wanted to sell the house.

"Yeah... Wonder what we'll do?" Leila giggled. "Maybe we could move into the Boarding house?" It wasn't hard to guess that was what Nettie had meant.

"No way. I am not moving there." Nettie scoffed. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy your dark and broody dude but the others are awful. I would stab myself within the week." She opened the tin of cookies and shoved two into her mouth.

Leila flushed, puckering her lips. "Stop calling him my dude, Nettie." Leila snatched a cookie from the tin too.

"Well.. He is kinda your dude. You make googley eyes at him." Maybe she would run away with him and leave her behind. "It's normal right?" She asked, sort of changing the subject. "The way you look at Damon?"

"I guess... But it doesn't matter," Leila said quickly. "He's a vampire. It wouldn't work."

"Oh." Nettle said, pushing her cup away. She wasn't human.. Did that mean they couldn't stay friends after high school? Would it 'not work out?'

Nettie had been thinking about her run in with the Mikaelson's more and more these few days. She wondered if she looked at Klaus that way? She shoved another cookie into her mouth.

"Well... Who am I to talk about this stuff? I don't know enough about Vampires to say things like that. If I heard right, Elena and Stefan were going out for a while, and then things went wrong, but it wasn't really them. It might have worked... And she's human... At least I think." Leila sipped her tea.

"I think if you like him, that you should go for it." Nettie had always said guys were gross and talked her friend out of dating. She had thought it was for the best. But she hadn't really realized how it effected Leila. Nettie was the reason they were both loners.

Leila raised her eyebrows. "Really?... Well, I don't know. I don't think he even knows I'm there half the time. He's really moody... I think he's have problems with someone else. He seems to have a one-track mind most of the time." Leila laughed a bit unenthusiastically. "I don't know if I need that in my life right now, as much as I think that he's something... special."

"I don't get it." Nettie said, pondering Damon. "They say they want to kill Klaus because he is a bad guy. But Damon has killed a lot of people. And from Elena told us about Stefan he had to." It didn't seem fair.

Leila jabbed her half-eaten cookie in Nettle's direction. "Anyway! I have been meaning to ask you about that! Why do Elijah and Klaus seem so infatuated with you?"

"Are they?" She perked up. "Elena said something about them needing me for something. I'm sure that's all that it is." Nettle finished off the last cookie and wiped her jeans clean.

"You don't seem worried about that." Leila watched as Nettie stood up. "Shouldn't you be?"

"No.. I mean. You will probably go off to college soon right? And I won't. I can't imagine the immense boredom I would have to endure if I went too.. At least this way I have a chance to find out who I really am." She shrugged.

"By going with Klaus and Elijah?" Leila shook her head. "Nettie... I don't understand what is going on with Elena and the gang and the Originals... I don't really know who's the bad guys and who the good guys are, but be careful."

"No one is really a good guy Lei. If they are all killers then they are all killers." There was no other way to look at it. "But I never said I would go with anybody. I am my own person, you of all people should know that. I am not so sure they would be able to handle me. They all think I am bonkers." Clarity was something Nettie only had around Leila.

Leila giggled. "Well, at least everyone can agree on that. You are a little crazy, Nettie."

She sighed to herself. It wasn't as if she could change that part of herself. She was driven sometimes. There wasn't anything she could do to stop it. "What are we doing today?" She asked Leila.

"Well, I want to check on everyone... I figured we'd have heard from Elena by now. I'm worrying and I'm a bit curious. I don't like sitting around in the dark." Leila finished her cookie, took the last sip of her tea and stood up as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**This story is going to be very special! Co-Written with Realm1993. We will both have our own OC. Mine will be Nettie/Nettle and Realm1993 will be writing for her OC Leila! This is one hundred percent 50/50. Please review and let us know just what you think!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

Leila grabbed the knocker on the large, wooden door of the Salvatore Boarding House, Nettie by her side. Upon arriving, they hadn't seen Elena's SUV or Stefan's Coupe. Leila did notice, however, Damon's car parked a little to the side of the large home.

"Elena's not here... Maybe we shouldn't bother Damon." Leila let go of the metal bar.

Nettie narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "We just drove all the way out here. Screw bothering Damon." Nettie grabbed the knocker herself and banged it loudly against the wood door. "Common! Dark and broody! Open up!"

"Nettie!"

A few moments later the door swung wide open. Damon was glaring at the sisters, a glass of bourbon in his one hand. "What are you two doing here?"

"Oh look, dark and broody." Nettle said, smirking up at Damon. "What's wrong this time?" She pushed past him, into the boarding house.

Damon turned so he only took up half the doorframe. He looked over at Leila. "What? You're just going to stand there?"

Leila flushed and walked inside after Nettle. Damon closed the door behind her. "Again... What are you two doing here? Elena's in Denver." His tone was venomous when he said, Elena.

"Denver? As in Denver, Colorado?" Leila asked, turning to look at him for clarification.

"Clearly we are here to hang out with you." Nettie deadpanned. "You promised me something?" She held her hands out to him, waiting.

"You really are something." Damon walked over to the sword and took it off it's mount on the wall. "You want it? Here. Have fun." He placed it in Nettle's hands. "Just don't break anything with it."

"Are you kidding? I am going to break so many things with this!" She exclaimed, holding the weapon out in front of her. Or maybe she would keep it under the bed. She had other shiny things under there. "Thanks Broody"

"Break something and I'm taking it back." Damon took a shot of his liquor.

"Try to take it. I dare you." She narrowed her eyes at him as she held the sword out in front of him. "Ooh I like it." She said, watching as it glimmered in the daylight from the open window nearby. "Shiny."

"That's why you agreed to come with me? For the sword?" Leila's shoulders drooped. "I should have known."

"Der. I was promised the sword Lei. I'm no push over. You should have seen what I planned to do if he wouldn't give it to me." She scoffed, plunking down with her new favorite toy.

"What could you do? Heal me to death?" Damon smirked, crossing his arms over his chest in superiority. "I'm so scared."

"Damon... Nettie doesn't just heal." Leila warned him. "Maybe it would be best not to provoke each other. Instead we can talk a bit about what is happening with the others."

Damon walked over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantle. "What is there to talk about? Elena's in Denver, fetching her little brother. Stefan accompanied her. End of story."

"Boring story." Nettie said, looking up from her new toy. "Lei?" She said, trying to knock Leila out of whatever daze she was in.

"What is it Nettie? If it's about the sword, Mom would kill you if you played with it in the house."

"Pfft, I would be the one with the sword Lei. Common." She looked down at it again.

"Did you really both come here to bramble on and on?" Damon turned to look out the window.

Leila shook her head. "I'm going to get a drink." She left the room.

"Your not very smart are you?" Nettle looked up from the shiny thing, to Damon.

"What was that? If I were you, I'd not say something like that to me again. I'm not in the mood." He took another shot of bourbon, finishing his glass.

"When are you in the mood? You really are Dark and Broody Damon." She muttered. "It's Elena isn't it?" She asked him.

Damon's eyes went icy for just a moment. "I need another drink." He walked over to a little, round table with the bottle of bourbon placed in the middle.

"She likes someone else." She said matter of factly. "So why are you brooding? Move on." She shrugged. She hadn't been in love before. When she thought about it she felt funny. But she didn't understand why people insisted on loving someone who didn't feel the same way.

Damon poured himself another glass. It probably wasn't just the second one he'd had that day. "I'm not about to talk to you about feelings." Damon shook his head. "I'm a vampire. I can turn them off."

"So find someone else to love." Why did it have to be so damn hard? "The world is vast Damon."

"Answer me this." Damon turned to look at her, raising his brows and pointing a finger in her direction with the hand he was holding his glass. "Why do you think you know so much about love?"

"I don't." She shrugged again, "But if I was in love with someone I would want them to love me back. If they didn't then why would I dwell on it? What would that accomplish Damon? Other than sadness?"

Damon didn't answer her. He chugged down some more of his drink and slammed the glass down on the table. "I don't get sad."

"Okay, so get angry then. Common Damon. Do something and get over her. Honestly what else is there?" She didn't care what he did. She just didn't want to hear his broody crap anymore. "Look. I get it. Big bad Damon. Killer, play boy. Those things make you feel better don't they?"

"You want me to do those things?" Damon ran his hand down his face. "Then I will."

"Good. Do them Damon." She smiled at him. She meant it to. She wanted him to feel happy.

Leila came back with a glass of water in her hands. She looked to Nettie, who seemed to be glowing, as if she were proud of something she'd said or done. Nettie always got that look when something seemed to be going her way.

She looked to Damon. He seemed a bit tense... And a bit drunk.

"Why did it take you so long? You realize I had to talk to Damon for like EVER don't you? Gross." Nettie got up with her shiny thing. "Can I go? This is super boring?" She asked Leila.

"I, uh..."

"Awesome. See ya."

Leila half-frowned as Nettie walked by her.

"Your friend is a real piece of work you know that? No filter." Damon told Leila. He placed his glass down on the table nearby.

"She's something special, all right." Leila smiled, taking a small sip of her iced water. "Why? Did she say something? Break something with that sword? I wouldn't put it past her."

"She said plenty. The sad thing is she is probably right." He had to drop his feeling for Elena sometime. Sooner then later. Or else he would end up like his brother. "You're still here." He said, looking down at her. Why was she still here?

"Uh..." Leila lifted her glass, as if indicating it. She wasn't too sure how to answer that. Why was she still there? She should have left with Nettie.

"Whatever. Look, I am just going to stay here and wallow in self pity. No fun for anyone. You should take off."

"We didn't come here looking for fun, Damon." Leila decided to sit down to finish her drink, at least.

* * *

><p>It seemed like forever for Damon as he sat there, not entertaining the small girl next to him. He couldn't help but be upset about Elena. After all he had done how could she just turn him away like she did?<p>

"Nettie?" Leila said, sitting up as her friend strolled in through the front door without knocking. "What is going on?"

"I had a little accident." She said, holding the sword in one hand as it swung back and forth, dripping blood on the carpet. "Seriously though! Not my fault. She ran right at me!"

Damon watched as the red blood dripped onto the rug. He sighed, "What happened?" He asked her, getting up. Finally something good was happening.

"Explain yourself!" Leila demanded. Nettie had never killed anyone before. This was WAY out of character.

"Well common! She was running at me all, 'Oh you smell good. What are you?' And it just sorta happened." She shrugged as she spoke. "She got my sword all icky! Damon, you never told us vampire's get all dusty when they die.."

"You're worried about your sword?!" Leila stood up. "It may have been a vampire, but you still just..." Leila was speechless.

"Probably someone Klaus compelled to track her. Or just a random vampire." Damon shrugged a shoulder, smirking.

"I'm over it already Lei. I mean, she was probably ancient right? She lived a long life." Nettie didn't really feel bad about it. It was actually kind of fun, although she wasn't going to say that out loud. She didn't want to get yelled at. "She had red hair. Kinda tall." She dropped the sword onto the carpet, splattering blood as she held her hand up to show the height of the strange vampire. "She wore this on her neck. I liked it, so I took it." She held up a small dangly gold and silver gemstone hanging from a long chain.

"Wait! That's Sage's necklace! You killed her?" Damon seemed genuinely surprised. "Give it to me." Damon held his hand out for the piece of jewelry.

"You knew that vampire?" Leila asked. Her lips were pulled into a tight frown.

"I've known her since 1912. She was older then Stefan and I, how could you kill her?" He moved towards her, grabbing for the necklace. He was fast but it seemed Nettie was faster. Her hand shot up, light flying from it.

Damon flew back through the air as the magic enveloped him. Smacking onto the edge of the fireplace he lay still. He wasn't so sure what just happened.

"No touchy. Mine." She said, looking down at the shiny green stone.

Leila gasped, eyes wide, hands over her mouth. "Nettie!" Her voice was muffled. "How did you do that?" Leila put her hands down. She had only ever seen Nettie heal.

"He tried to take my green thing!" She said stubbornly. She had only done what felt right in the moment.

"God! Dammit, woman!" Damon groaned as he tried to sit up.

Leila looked between the two. "...Why do I feel like this is going to be hell?" she muttered to herself.

Damon struggled to get up on his feet. "Give the necklace to me, Nettle. It isn't yours."

"No!" She said back. Looking up from the necklace she placed her hand in front of her. Light shone from it slowly, not hurting anyone. She looked at it a minute before she smiled wildly, "No dark and broody. I think I'll keep it."

"Nettie..." Leila frowned.

"It's mine, fair and square." Nettie told Leila, pouting.

Leila bit down on her bottom lip as all eyes fell on her. She sighed and met Damon's angry gaze. "She has a problem with collecting shiny things... And sugar. Sugar too."

"Ughhh Lei. You're making me hungry!" She said, finally putting the emerald necklace into her bag.

Damon cracked his neck and stretched slightly. "Fine keep it. But when Finn comes to find her and instead finds you with her necklace, you explain what went down. See how well you fair against an Original." Damon walked across the room and grabbed the whole bottle of Bourbon. "I'm going to the Grill." He took a swallow of his liquor as he walked towards the front door.

Leila sighed, "Common, lets go home."

* * *

><p>Elena and Jeremy got home the next day, meeting up with the two girls back at the boarding house. Damon explained to Stefan and Elena just what Nettie had set in motion.<p>

"So she killed Sage?" Stefan asked Damon. "And you are worried that Finn is going to come looking?"

"Last I saw, Finn only cared about what his mother was up to. I doubt he will care." Elena told them. Nettle sat there, swinging her feet back and forth. Leila listened in intently so that if she had to protect her friend, she would know just how to do it.

"Sage cares about Finn and no one else... He could feel the same." Damon frowned.

"I think you mean, 'Cared'" Nettle told him, "Cause I killed her."

"Well, we can't just take a chance and assume Finn's not going to care. It'd put Nettie in danger." Leila shook her head wildly. "We have to protect her somehow."

"She puts herself in danger!" Damon snapped. "We have more important things to worry about then this.. Thing!"

"Thing?!" Leila glared daggers at Damon. "This 'Thing' kicked your ass yesterday! You need her Damon. You all need her." She reminded him. Why did he always have to act so mean?

"Yah, you need me broody." Nettie said to him, smirking.

"It isn't about needing her." Elena reminded everyone. "Nettie, we could use your help. But we can offer you something in return. We can try to help figure out what you are." Her and Stefan had discussed it during their little road trip. Both choosing to help Nettie.

Leila nodded her head. "We appreciate that." She looked back at Damon, her eyes narrowed almost to slits before she looked to Nettie. "But, really, what you want us to do about Finn is up to you."

"Okay, I have an idea." Elena said. "Leila knows Nettle. Damon, take her to speak with Klaus about what happened to Sage. Maybe he and Elijah will help us control this situation." She suggested.

"They do need her... Maybe it would help." Leila nodded. "But you really want him to take me? Damon's in an attitude."

Damon tilted his head as he looked at Leila with one of those fake, plastered on smiles. "Suck it up, Leila. You heard the girl. Elena's the one who makes all the decisions around here. Looks like we're stopping by the Mikaelson's."

* * *

><p>Damon pulled up to the Mikaelson mansion, Leila in the seat beside him. He groaned as he killed the engine. The trip had been kind of silent. He imagined Leila could just feel the mood he was in. It was radiating off of him, he knew. It always did no matter how much he tried to hide it.<p>

He needed to get his mind off of Elena, the same way he got his mind off of everything that had ever bothered him.

"Ready to go?" he asked her, unbuckling.

Leila unbuckled as well. "Why do you wear a seatbelt?" She asked him, raising her brow at him, smirking softly.

"To keep suspicion from arousing. What if a cop pulls me over?" He smirked back.

"Cause you're just going to stop for an officer." Leila shook her head.

"To be fair I could just glamor anyone who pulled me over." He told her. "Really I just wear it so I don't have to heal as much if I crash."

"...Makes sense." she nodded. "Why don't you just glamor anyone who makes you upset?" Leila shook her head. "Like, whoever has you angry right now. Just compel them or whatever. I wouldn't put it past you to do it. Problem solved." Leila shrugged.

"You mean Elena?" He asked her. Something about this human made it easy to talk her. She nodded at him, waiting. "I guess I could glamor her. But I wanted her to love me without any of that. If she doesn't love me I won't force her to."

"So you're selfish enough to throw a fit in front of her, but not enough to compel her to love you?" Leila scoffed. "Wow. I feel sorry for you."

"I feel sorry for you." He shot back, "I can't imagine what it would be like surrounded by people stronger than me. What is it like? Being human?" He asked her cruelly. He knew it was mean, but he couldn't help it.

Leila measured Damon carefully. "Better than being dead, that's for sure." Leila turned in her seat to look at him directly.

"Keep telling yourself that human. But what about being alive is better?" Damon was getting bored of their conversation.

Leila didn't know how to answer him. Really, being a vampire probably had its perks. She hadn't thought too much on the subject.

"The love you feel, the sadness. For us it's more intense. Life is so much more real. We don't age, we don't have children. But we feel life in a way you never will. I wouldn't trade it for anything." He told her as he climbed out and closed the car door.

Leila stayed seated as Damon rounded the front of the convertible and started walking to the front door of the mansion. Leila growled loudly, cussing his name, and got out after him.

They made their way to the front door of the Mikaelson mansion, Damon ringing the doorbell as they stood in awkward silence.

Leila tapped her foot on the pavement under her feet. It was something she did often when she was flustered.

The door creaked open, Rebekah standing there in all her blond glory. "Oh, it's you." She sneered at Damon, her eyes eventually falling on Leila. "What do you want Damon?"

"We want to talk to Elijah and Klaus." Leila answered before he could.

Rebekah raised her eyebrows at the red-head. "They are in the study." She stepped aside and let them into the lions den. "Have fun." She grinned, watching as they climbed the stairs.

* * *

><p>"So you are saying the blonde thing killed Finn's girlfriend?" Elijah asked, intrigued once more with the small blond girl.<p>

"Yes well.. My friend hasn't ever killed anyone before.. So we weren't really sure how to go about all this." Leila said to Elijah. She felt nervous as Klaus stood behind them, smirking.

"We know that you are just as curious about Nettle as everyone else is," Damon said, not beating around the bush. "We were sort of hoping you could keep Finn away from her."

"Yes I do see." Elijah said, leaning back into the chair behind his desk. "You may not be aware of this at the moment, but our dear brother Finn is not really as sane as he once may have been." He explained. "He sides with our mother in her attempts at killing us all. This of course would mean his death as well."

"So are you saying you won't help us keep him away from her?" Leila asked.

"We can be moved to make a deal." Klaus spoke up, walking to where his brother sat. "Can we not brother?" He looked down at Elijah.

"You Mikaelsons make too many deals," Damon said. "Can't anything just be, 'sure', or 'why not?'. There's always some sort of catch." He narrowed his neon blue eyes at them.

"Your friend killed a very old vampire Miss?" Niklaus looked down at Leila, waiting for more information on Nettle's family.

"Leila Maxwell." Leila couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around the Original Vampires. She shifted uneasily in her seat.

"Yes well, Miss Maxwell. We have a certain interest in finding out just what Nettle is capable of. We need one thing, you need another. I am sure you understand." Niklaus continued his smug smirk as he watched them.

"So what exactly are you asking of us?" Leila asked. She almost regretted coming here.

"Something that could benefit us all." Elijah smiled at her. "All we ask is to help Nettie try to understand what she may be capable of." Of course it was not so easy as all that. But he needed them to agree to his plan.

"...Fine." Damon said suddenly.

Leila looked to Damon quickly. "Why are you making the decision? She's my sister. You don't have any say in what goes on in her life."

"She'd be safer this way. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Leila fell silent. He was right.

"So we are in agreement then?" Klaus asked, watching Leila.

She tapped her toe on the linoleum. "Yeah. It's a deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"I cannot believe we weren't friends sooner." Caroline said, watching Leila from across the grill's small table. "Honestly!"

"I'm so glad Elena introduced us." Leila giggled, taking a bit of her French fries. "Oh! I meant to ask... And I hope it isn't going to sound too pushy... But I saw you crying a while back... I hope everything is okay." Leila shook her head. "Really, I know it's a little late. But I'm sorry that whatever happened, happened. I only wish I was able to say that to you sooner."

"My father passed." She sighed. "But let's not talk about that now."

Bonnie watched the small blond from across the table. Elena had told her what was going on and now Bonnie was curious. She hoped she might have some sort of insight. But no luck thus far.

"She keeps glaring at me." Nettie whispered to Leila. "Do I have something in my teeth?" She bared her pearly whites at her friend.

Leila shook her head. "No." She shrugged, looking to Bonnie.

"Bonnie is a witch." Elena told Nettie. "We thought maybe she could try to help you Nettle." Elena smiled at Bonnie as she spoke. "She won't hurt you."

"It'd be great to get some answers," Leila stated.

"Bonnie has the answers to a lot of things," Caroline said on a giggle.

"Can I touch you?" Bonnie asked her, reaching out for Nettie's hand.

When Nettie gave Bonnie the okay, Bonnie took the girl's hand in her own. She closed her eyes, whispered something softly, and suddenly the world around her seemed to explode with lights, sounds, and colors. It was almost euphoric.

Bonnie and Nettie stood still, watching.

"It's beautiful," Bonnie said breathlessly as she witnessed another world. People, gorgeous beyond any, water sparkling like starlight... She'd never dreamed she'd see anything like this in her lifetime.

"What is it?" Nettie asked, wanting to run forward towards the lights.

"This is you, Nettie," Bonnie looked to the girl in front of her. She seemed to be glowing like the rest of the people.

Nettie reached out for them, but it was as if she was glued down. She wiggled, trying to escape whatever it was holding her back. "What is happening?" She asked the witch.

"We aren't really here... It's like looking through a window. You can see it, but you can't touch." Bonnie frowned. "Sorry, but it's the best I can do at the moment."

"But it's so shiny!" She turned her head to the side.

In a blink of an eye the world shifted, shimmering out of existence until all that was left was the Mystic Grill. Bonnie let go of Nettle's hands and smiled at her. "Whatever you are, it's beautiful, Nettie."

She wriggled out from the booth seat and walked out of the grill. She didn't say anything as she began to walk in the daylight.

Leila went to go after her sister. Bonnie grabbed her arm as she began to slide out of the booth. Leila looked at the witch. "Don't. She'll be fine." Bonnie said.

"But she-"

"She's fine, Leila."

Leila sat back down. "What did you guys see?"

Caroline leaned forward in her seat. "It must have been something mind-blowing for Nettie to just walk out like that..."

"I really don't know what we saw... It was beautiful, colorful, magical... It was another world, or time..." Bonnie shook her head, but closed her eyes, smiling as she thought about it. "I can tell you if that's where Nettie came from, or if her past has something to do with this place, then I have no doubt she is good."

* * *

><p>Leila hugged herself tightly. It was beginning to get cold outside. She leaned forward in her seat on the crumbling stone wall by the Boarding House. She'd been left there while Nettie went out to do whatever it was Elijah and Klaus wanted to do with her.<p>

She didn't move when she heard the creaking of the door.

"So Nettie just left you here?" Damon's voice came from behind her.

"Well, I wasn't about to spend a day with the Originals, if that's what you really mean." Leila zipped her hoodie up to her chin. "God, I'm so cold! I hate this time of year!" She swung her legs over the wall so she could turn to look at Damon. "Think she's okay?"

"Is anyone ever really okay with those people?" He asked her. He sighed when she looked at her feet. He actually felt a bit bad. "Look, they need her right? So if they need her I am sure she will be alright."

Leila looked up at Damon from under thick lashes. She smiled. "That actually makes me feel a bit better... Thanks, Damon." Leila looked back down at her feet and tapped her toes against the dirt. "You feeling any less broody today?" A smile crept up from under the fake, straight face she was trying to put on.

"No." He smiled back at her. "But I'm trying."

She giggled. "That's good! Gotta start somewhere."

* * *

><p>"Thank you for accompanying us, Nettie," Elijah said as they walked through the woods. Klaus wandered behind them, giving Elijah reign over the situation.<p>

"It'll be fun. I get to shoot at stuff right?" She said, eyes lighting up.

"You can shoot at things?" Elijah raised a brow at the girl. He only ever recalled anyone mentioning her healing capabilities.

"Shot Damon clear across the boarding house." She grinned. "He wanted Sage's necklace. Tough for him."

"Is that so?" Elijah nodded his head approvingly.

"Apparently she has other traits we were not aware of." Klaus said from behind.

They arrived in the small clearing that had been readied for her arrival. "Oh! Are those for me?" She asked excited as she walked over to two people standing like drones in the grassy field.

"In a way. We will use them as a focus for your powers." He looked at them. One a hybrid, the other a vampire. "Maybe you can show us how you shot Damon across the boarding house?" He asked her.

"Uhh.. I can try." She shrugged. She moved away from the two men and walked clear across the field. Nikalus and Elijah stood to watch. But after a few moments of random hand waves she was bummed. Nothing was happening.

"Was there something that happened to you when this happened?" Elijah asked her, joining the girl.

"Damon wanted to take my shiny thing. I didn't like how persistent he was being about it, so I blew him across the room." She shrugged. "There wasn't much thinking involved."

"Good, so you were upset?" He asked her. He could feel Niklaus sigh in boredom behind him but he shrugged it off. She nodded, "So think about Damon taking what belongs to you." He suggested.

She thought about the strange vampire outside the boarding house and the shiny necklace she had taken. If Damon had gotten his filthy hands on it she was sure she would have done worse then shoot him across the room. At the thought her hand started tingling.

She raised it, sending sparks flying towards the hybrid. He didn't fly quite as far as Damon had, but it got the job done. "Ahh! See! That one went flying." She grinned up at Elijah..

"I do see. Quite a fine job you've done already... You pick up on things quickly, it seems. This will make things much easier." Elijah gave her a nod of approval. But as he had watched her send the hybrid through the air he had truly been stumped. He had been so sure she was a witch, like his mother. But no witch, not even the original one had done anything quite like that.

After a few hours of practicing Elijah took her home. She was exhausted, yawning as she leaned against the small frame of the house. "That was fun. I liked the part where I got to kick you."

Elijah let out a tired sigh, a hint of a chuckle in the sound. "I'm glad that this was enjoyable to you. We will pick up where we left off again soon." He looked down at her as she shifted, leaning against him for support. He lifted his hand and touched her hair softly. "Your sister awaits your return." He could hear the other Maxwell talking on the phone behind the door. "I will see you soon Nettle."

* * *

><p>Nettie sighed as she walked down the side walk, without really caring where her walk took her. She'd been practising every day for the last few days with Elijah and Klaus, and she had to admit it was a bit exhausting. She was having a good time though. She realized more and more each day that she was actually enjoying the company of people. Strange...<p>

Nettie found herself at the cemetery across the old Wickery Bridge an hour later. She stood at the gate and looked in at all the headstones. Something about graveyards always had given Nettie a strange, but good feeling. She felt some kind of connection to something whenever she was near one. She couldn't explain it.

She walked in, running her hands along the cold stone in front of her.

She continued to just wander around. Before she knew it, night had fallen and she found herself standing in front of a very old tomb. She felt curious, which was weird, since Leila was usually the curious one. What exactly was drawing her to this place?

"Nettle, is it?"

Nettie turned on a dime. She remembered that face. "Esther."

"Yes, you do remember me then. Good... Nettle, I'm here to ask you a favor, if you would hear me out."

"A favor... Why would you ask me for a favor? I don't know you, at all." She watched the blonde woman. Her face wasn't trustworthy, Nettie could tell. She could feel it.

"Because we all want the same thing, do we not? Nettle..." Esther took a step towards the blonde. "We both want my children dead so they can no longer harm the innocent."

"Why do you assume I want them dead? They are helping me." Nettie asked, crossing the tomb so she could be closer to the exit.

"Because Finn is going to be out to get you as soon as he found out Sage is dead, is he not? Because Kol doesn't care about anything but his own fun and pleasure. You want them gone... You and your friends. I can make that happen."

"I don't have friends." She raised a brow. "And what I want I can guarantee would be different from what they would want." She sighed, realizing the woman wasn't going to leave. "If I do this will you just go away?" She could just sabotage the woman's plans and be done with it.

Esther nodded." ...Yes, Nettle. I will leave you be." Esther was beginning to see that the girl was truly.. weird.

"Fine, what?" Nettie said shortly.

"I need Elena's blood to make the ultimate weapon for destroying Original Vampires. Once this weapon is created, my children will finally be vulnerable." Esther removed a small dagger from her bag, showing it to Nettie.

"Sweet." Nettie grabbed the weapon and shoved it into her pack. "I'll see you soon." She would definitely see Esther, but the weapon wouldn't have Elena's blood. She watched the woman, waiting for her to leave.

After Esther left she remained behind. Sometimes just being alone was all she wanted. The quiet that it brought with it helped her to calm her always shifting thoughts.

* * *

><p>Leila sat at Klaus's feet with her eyes covered by her hands. Watching Nettie learn to use her gifts was one thing. Watching her toss around innocent people was another. She loved Nettie, but she felt so sorry for the hybrids stuck being her punching bag.<p>

"They'll be fine, Leila," Klaus told her. "They're hybrids. They heal."

"But it hurts just seeing them get shoved around." Leila cringed as Nettie used her "Light" and a hybrid was thrown back against a tree.

"You are doing well, Nettle!" Elijah congratulated the blonde. He had been finding that he was awaiting their time together as the days passed by. He was starting to feel out of his element with her and he was almost unsure how to react. "Why don't we take a small break?"

"Please!" Leila called from behind them.

Nettie frowned. "Aw, already? I was just warming up!"

"Yes. Give Niklaus's hybrids time to heal." Elijah put a hand on the small of Nettie's back and gently pushed her in the direction of his bother and Leila.

"Like he cares if I hurt them. Honestly." Nettie laughed, looking back at the quiet Niklaus. She wondered when he would begin to talk to her. She was always wondering what he was thinking.

Niklaus smiled as they approached. "You're making progress. Well-" He stopped short, turning to look over his shoulder.

"What is it?" Leila asked him.

"Finn." Elijah looked down to Nettie beside him. He worried for her safety, even though he knew she was probably more than capable of taking care of herself.

Finn stepped out from behind a tall rock. His face was twisted into a scowl, his eyes as cold as ice. "Sage." he said. "Where is she?"

"Hold on a moment brother, we have much to talk about." Elijah said, stepping in front of the small blonde.

"No! I know that tiny HUMAN killed Sage! She will answer for it. Then I will leave. No talking." He pointed at the girl hiding behind Elijah.

Leila slowly got to her feet, and Klaus moved to the front of her. When Finn's mind was set on something, there was no stopping him.

"You should get out of here, Nettie. Take Leila. Go now." Elijah said softly as he watched Finn carefully.

Nettie stepped out from behind Elijah, kicking her feet into the dirt like she was pondering her next move. "I've got this."

"Nettle..." Elijah only frowned and moved away from the girl as she looked Finn directly in the eye.

"She tried to eat me." Nettie told Finn, walking closer to the angry vampire. "I don't like the idea of being eaten, ya know?" She asked him.

Finn didn't even reply. He lunged at her with all his might, vampire teeth bared. As he lunged at her she shot her hand out, sending the original flying into the woods beyond the field.

Quickly Nettie reached into her bag, pulling out the dagger.

Finn was up on his feet more quickly than Nettle could react. He pounced on her, rolling on the ground with her beneath him.

Nettie winced as a her arms were cut from sharp branches and stones on the forest floor. She rose her arm to lunge the dagger Esther had given her into Finn's heart.

He had her by the wrist just before the tip met his skin.

Finn knocked the dagger out of her hand, sending it skittering over the dirt. Nettie wriggled, trying to escape his grasp.

"Nettie!" Leila cried out. Elijah and Klaus made to attack Finn.

Nettle glared at them. "I'll handle this myself!" She sent them flying, both in different directions before moving back for Finn.

As she moved she felt her body heat up. This had never been the case before, but it didn't stop her. Reaching him where he lay on the wet grass, she kneeled down. Reaching out she touched his face softly, then light shot from her finger tips.

What came next was a mixture of yelling and blackness. When she opened her eyes again she lay alone in the cool grass, Leila above her. "Nettie!"

"Lei?"

Leila wrapped her arms tightly around Nettie's shoulders. "Oh, I was so scared! Are you okay?!" Leila moved back a bit to look Nettie in the eyes. "Oh my god, Nettie your eyes." She said, reaching for her friends face. "Elijah!"

The two originals were not happy about the death of their brother. But at the same time they realized two other things. Nettie was powerful and they needed her more then ever. But also, Nettie was powerful and she could become a threat to them. "They are glowing." Leila said, helping Nettie up.

Elijah knelt down beside her, lifting her from the ground in a quick swoop.Niklaus standing close behind him. He took her face in his hands and examined her eyes closely. "What is this?" he asked on a breath.

"Is she all right?" Leila asked. She felt a little worry run through her.

"I imagine this has something to do with the Light." Nik said, watching with a small smirk.

"But she just.. Sucked the life out of him. That cannot be good!" Leila ran her hand up over her face in exasperation. Nettie's little surprises were starting to get to her. She found herself worrying all the time. More lately, than she ever had.

"I feel fine... Sorta," Nettle said, mostly to calm Leila down. She knew that Leila cared a lot about her. The last thing she wanted was Leila worrying for her safety.

Klaus looked to Nettie. "I think it's best you and Leila go on home now, love. I'll have one of my hybrids escort you."

Leila frowned deeply. "I think we should go over to the boarding house... I feel safer there." Leila shook her head.

"You're probably just in shock," Elijah said. "If anything, the danger to you and your sister is gone. But if that is what you wish, I'll escort you myself."

* * *

><p>"You haven't said anything." Nettie said, watching as Leila went into the boarding house. Elijah watched Nettle as she turned to him. "I killed your brother."<p>

"It is what it is." Elijah folded his arms over his chest. "Finn hasn't been a part of this family for a long time. Even before all of us were turned. He was always cold, always following our mother blindly." He watched her a moment, her hand rested on her pack. "I need to ask you something Nettle, and I need honesty."

"You got it Suit." She said, smiling up at him softly.

"Where did you get that dagger?" He asked.

Nettle wasn't really surprised. People wanted her shiny things so often she had a hard time keeping track. She knew it'd be brought up sooner or later. She did try to use it to kill his brother after all. "Pretty nice, right?" She asked, pulling the old dagger out of her bag.

"That dagger is very old Nettle. If my mother has been asking you for favors in order to hurt us I would hope you would be honest about it." He needed her to be.

"She followed me to the graveyard. Creepy!" She shivered, "Any ways ya, death and all that. What kind of a mother does that?" She asked him.

"My mother, apparently..." Elijah frowned deeply. "What will you do with it?"

"Well. I had thought about it.." She raised her eyes to his, "And she wants doppelgänger blood. She wouldn't leave me alone so I told her I would if she went away." She shrugged. "And she did."

"Then what is your plan? She will come for it sooner or later."

"And I'll give it to her." She shrugged. And then it'll be over. No more Esther being annoying.

Elijah measured the girl up and down. Something told him to trust her. He knew, way deep down that she wouldn't just let his mother get her hands on the one thing that could wipe him and his family out of existence. Nettle was a brilliant mind.

"Kay well.. Night Suit." She said, tapping his shoulder. Then she left him there, on the stoop as she closed the large wooden door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Leila watched her friend sleep on the big four poster spare room bed. She had no idea that Nettie would progress like this or to this extreme. And passing out? That could not be healthy for her. And to come home and sleep for two days.. What did it mean?

"She still hasn't woken." Elena whispered to Damon as they stood in the doorway. It had been two days since the incident. "We need to do something Damon."

"Like what? We have no idea where to even begin Elena. Not everything in life is simple." They hadn't been talking much since she told him not to love her. But he was having trouble just, 'not loving her.'

"I can't believe this. All this happening. Alaric... Esther. Why do crappy things always come in threes?" Elena went on. "We are likely to never get a break."

"It's Mystic Falls. Nothing good ever happens here. You think you would have figured that out by now." Damon sighed, sounding pretty upset.

Leila looked over to the two standing in the door frame, watching her as she waited for her friend to wake up. It probably would have made most people feel uneasy, two pairs of eyes watching her so closely... But it made Leila feel safe, like she was cared for... Wait. Damon cared? She shrugged it off.. She was probably hallucinating.

She pushed herself up from the bed, "We need to do something. Any ideas?" Leila asked them hopefully.

"Well... What about the grimoires?" She asked Damon.

"No.. We have read them all already. There wasn't anything about whatever is happening here." He said back.

"There has to be something?" Leila repeated. "Anything."

"We could try the council's restricted book section at the library?" Elena asked them.

"They won't just let us in there if the books are restricted... I mean, we may be a part of the founding families, but we're not on the council." Leila shrugged one shoulder.

"You girls may not be on the council, but technically..." Damon gave them a smirk. "I am."

"Okay, good. So let's go." Leila said, grabbing her bag from the wood floor.

"Whoa, not so fast. I need to make a few calls first." Damon told her, patting her head. "One hour."

* * *

><p>Leila walked up the steps to the library behind Damon. She was so grateful that he'd been willing to help her out. Nettie needed them. Something had to be wrong or she would have waken up by now.<p>

"We get an hour in the cage." He explained to her, "After that I can't promise my clearance will be.. Legit."

"But I thought you said you were on the council?" She asked, beginning to get worried.

"I know someone on the council." He told her. "We are lucky Caroline Forbes has such an... Understanding mother."

"...Oh. Well, let's do this as quickly as possible, then." She hurried up the steps in front of him, opening up the door to the library and slipping inside the large building. Damon stayed close behind.

They entered, Damon using his key card to get inside the cage that sat along the back wall of the dark, old library. Then they shimmied inside. Leila had no idea where to begin. How did one go about looking up strange, unexplained power?

"So what should we look for? Things on supernatural powers? Creatures? Legends?" Leila scratched the back of her head.

"Not sure. Never done this before." He said. Not even with Elena. "Just pick one and start looking." He pulled a dusty red book from the shelf.

Leila grabbed a thick, leather-bound book and opened it up. She pulled out a chair and sat down in it. "Guess I'll start with this one," she said, running her finger over the table of contents.

Leila sighed; they had been sitting for almost half an hour in silence, finding nothing. "Leila." Damon said, tapping her shoulder. He slid the large dusty grey book under her already growing stack of books. Then he placed his finger on the chapter. "Read that."

Leila scanned the page quickly before reading aloud. "Faerie's." She whispered. "No.. They can't be real Damon. This is silly."

"Is this silly? A fairy is drawn to all things shiny. Crystal, metals, jewels. If you try to hide something shiny from a Faerie most likely they will retaliate."

"Yes but that is just silly Damon." She shook her head, holding back a small laugh. "It's the only thing we've found and we've been at this for a while now... I wouldn't just call it unimportant... It could lead us to something; maybe we should look more into this another time."

"No, look here." He said again, pointing at the book. "It says were once fallen angels. The most dangerous of angels." He ran his finger down further, "It also says they can be born that way. And if born on earth they may never learn what they really are." The page ended there. "Look. There isn't much here in the council's restricted area. But I know that people have written about Faeries. It gives us a place to start."

Leila nodded her head. As insane as it sounded, the fact that she was sitting in a library with a vampire sounded just as crazy. Maybe she shouldn't just ignore it. Maybe Damon was right. At least they had a place to start.

* * *

><p>Elena sat in an antique, wooden chair next to the bed, where Caroline sat by the resting Nettie. Elena's face was twisted into a frown. "I'm so worried for Alaric, Caroline... I don't know what to do to help him... He's killing people."<p>

"I know you care. I do to Elena. But we can't delude ourselves into thinking that, that man is Alaric. He would never do those things." Caroline comforted her friend as they sat watching Nettie.

"I just feel so useless." Elena sighed. She looked to Nettie, and sat straight up. Her hand had just twitched. "Caroline!"

"I saw it." The blond said, perking up. "Nettie?" She called to the small girl. Caroline thought maybe it was the bed that made her look so tiny. But she wasn't so sure.

"Nettie... Nettie, wake up." Elena got out of her seat and walked over to the side of the bed, getting on her knees by Nettle. She wondered if she should call Leila.

"Why is everyone hanging around while I am sleeping?" Nettie asked, sitting up. "Is this normal for you guys?"

Elena reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a glass of water, handing it to Nettie. Her voice sounding a bit hoarse. "You've been out for days. Here, drink this."

"Seriously?" She asked. The girls nodded to her, "I am starving!" Nettie exclaimed, swinging her feet off the edge of the bed. "There is food here right? Please tell me the answer is yes!"

"Yeah, of course... " Elena said.

Caroline put her hands on Nettie's shoulders and urged her back down onto the pillows gently. "We'll get it for you. You should probably just stay here for a little bit. Leila is on her way."

* * *

><p>Leila scratched her ankle with her foot as Damon drove into the familiar driveway leading up to the boarding house. She looked over at him from the corner of her eye. She'd been thinking about what they'd found out at the library.<p>

"Maybe we shouldn't tell Nettie about what we found." She said suddenly, as they got out of the car and started walking towards the house.

"What good would it do anyhow." He mumbled as she walked right back into him. He grabbed her shoulders and righted her. "Relax Red, no one is saying anything until you're ready."

Leila looked up at Damon. "I mean... We should tell her, shouldn't we? But... But something is telling me not to." Maybe waiting until they had a better idea of what she really was.. Then they would tell her. They had to be sure. Didn't they?

"Hey, you're back." Elena said, noticing the two standing really close to each other, whispering. "What's up? Something going on?" She asked them.

Leila finally noticed the closeness of her and Damon, the very few inches separating them, and took a step back. "No... Nothing." She said. "Anything new with Nettie?"

"She's awake. She was hungry and when I tried to feed her she just got upset. Said something like, 'You are trying to kill me.' Then she started destroying the kitchen." Elena told them, pointing towards the small boarding house kitchen.

They three walked in the direction of the kitchen. Leila could hear Nettie's grumbling from down the hallway. Her heart skipped a beat and she took off ahead of the others, into the room. "Nettie?" she asked.

Nettie paused a moment, looking to her sister. "No cookies!" She stammered blankly, glaring at Leila.

"What?" Leila asked her, a little weirded out by the look she was being given.

"Who doesn't have COOKIES!" She grumbled. "I'm starved, starved!" A tear fell down her cheek as she spoke to Leila. But her face stayed the same.

Leila took a deep breath and launched herself into Nettie's arms. She hugged her friend tightly. "Nettie I was so worried about you!" Cookies were the last thing on Leila's mind.

"Lei." She whispered.

Elena smiled at the sisters. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and looked to Damon. "I'll be back. I'm going to call Elijah. He seemed concerned about Nettie. He'll be happy to know she's awake." Elena walked out of the room.

"What is it Nettie?" Leila asked.

"I need to eat now." Nettie told her, "I hope you brought your keys."

Leila stepped back from the blonde and searched her hoodie pockets, pulling her key ring from one and showing it to Nettie. "Right here." Leila giggled.

"Ugh! Thank god. Let's go." Nettie grabbed the keys and made for the door.

Leila walked into the hallway, passing Damon. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Wanna come along?"

"I'm not getting near that girl when she is hungry." Damon said, "Good luck."

"Okay, then..." Leila continued to look at him a second, before turning and rushing out the door after Nettie.

Elena was standing at the car door with Nettie, who was already in the driver's seat. "Elijah said to go over to his place after you eat. He wanted to see you about something." Elena was saying to her.

* * *

><p>Nettie walked up to the steps of the mansion, waving over her shoulder at Leila as the red-head took the car home. She walked right inside the house, leaning against the door. "I'm here!" she called.<p>

Elijah came into view at the sound of her calling. "Nettle. Glad to see you have finally woken. How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Good, now that I've eaten. What's up Suit?" She asked him.

"Would you come with me a moment?" he asked, motioning for the steps.

Nettie nodded and followed him up to the second floor, through the hallway, and to a room with a large desk and plenty of bookcases. Elijah walked around to the other side of the desk as Nettie examined the room.

Elijah opened a drawer, pulled something out of it, then walked back around to Nettie. She had her eyes fixated on a shiny medal hanging on the wall to her right.

"Nettle?" he asked, calling for her attention.

Nettie looked at him. "Yep?"

Elijah held a small box out to her. He snapped it open, revealing a diamond-encrusted silver ring in the shape of a skull. Nettie's eye widened as she began towards Elijah. But she stopped in front of him. "Why? Why do I get the shiny thing?" She looked at him cautiously.

"It's come to my attention that your school is having a dance, and I'd like very much if you accompanied me to it."

She glared at him for a minute before speaking. "As friends." She raised her eyes to his.

"If it makes you feel better, as friends." He agreed. He was sure the girl hadn't been asked out much. Maybe taking it slow would be benefitial.

"And I get the ring?" She looked down at his hand again. "Now?"

"It's yours." Elijah smiled at her.

* * *

><p>Leila watched as Nettie dug around in her closet. She frowned. "I don't know if I have anything that even resembles clothes from the 20's in there, Nettie."<p>

"Well then we need to go shopping, right?" She asked, throwing a dress angrily onto the floor. They didn't wear dresses all that often so their selection was few. "Maybe Damon has something in that giant house?" She suggested.

"There might be something for you there." Leila smiled. It was a pretty good assumption.

"And you. You're going to." She said, eying the girl.

Leila shrugged. "I don't have a date, Nettie. It'd just be weird."

"You will have a date once we talk to Damon." Nettie grinned.

Leila let out a little laugh, as if the words sounded strange and foreign. "Damon? What makes you think he'd take me to the dance? He'll probably ask Elena.

"And she will say no. She doesn't love him Lei. Besides, he needs a reason to get in doesn't he?" He'd want to watch Elena. Nettie didn't always think about what she was saying before it was already said. This was one of those cases.

Leila raised her eyebrows. "I don't want to go to the dance with Damon just so he can lust over Elena."

"Well, I am going with Elijah. You think he 'just wants to be friends?' ya right." Nettie scoffed. "But he gave me this." She waved the shiny ring in Leila's face. "Who says no to that?"

"Definitely not you," Leila said matter-of-factly. "And is it really so bad that he wants to go out with you? I don't think so. It's actually kinda sweet."

"Eww. Who wants sweet?" She asked Leila, "Besides.. He isn't my type." She didn't have a type. But he wasn't it, she was sure of that. "You think Klaus will be going?" She asked, changing the topic.

"Possibly. I don't see why he wouldn't. He's always where the other Mikaelson's are." Leila eyed Nettie cautiously. "Why do you care anyways?"

"I don't care. I was just curious. Why does it matter anyways? Focus on asking Damon out. Practice." Nettie spoke quickly, trying hard to take Leila's mind off Niklaus.

"You know it'd be a lot easier if he wasn't brooding over Elena." Leila stood up, picking up the dress on the floor and tossing it on the bed. "I guess we're heading over to the boarding house then?"

"Yep, and you are driving!"

* * *

><p>The girls stood in an empty room of the boarding house as Damon opened up a huge, walk-in closet for them. He stepped back and looked to Nettie and Leila. "Have fun, girls," he said.<p>

"I knew it! Damon dresses up like a lady!" Nettie clapped, heading inside the dark closet.

"Um, no." He said flatly. "Clothes from my family." He grinned a cocky grin.

Leila leaned against the wall, waiting for Nettie to find something she liked. She couldn't help but think about what Nettie suggested, asking Damon out to the 20's dance... She couldn't do that! Even though it would be fun, she knew it wasn't her place to ask him.

"Leila needs a date for this shindig Broody." Nettie said, throwing a dress to Leila. "You two should go." She suggested, making blinky eyes at Damon. She really wasn't great at winking.

"No. Uh.. I mean, that's alright." Leila stammered, "Damon probably doesn't want to go anyways."

"What? You don't like me or something?" He asked, throwing his hand to his heart dramatically. "I need to go in case something happens with Alaric. So a date would help." He eyed Leila.

His wandering eyes made a blush creep up on Leila's cheeks. She turned her head, to the closet, avoiding his eyes. "Sure, I guess I could go with you." She muttered.

"Good!" He smirked, taking a drink from his bourbon. "Sounds fun."

Leila looked at the dress Nettie had tossed to her. It was a little... sparkly and fringy for her tastes. But that was the 20's... She sighed with a little smile. "I'm gonna go try this on."

* * *

><p>Esther stepped onto the dirt path in front of the tomb she'd found Nettie at the day she'd asked for assistance with the dagger. She waited patiently for the blonde girl, who arrived just a little off-schedule.<p>

"Nettle, glad you could make it." Esther smiled. "Do you have the doppelganger blood? And my dagger?"

Nettie took the wooden dagger from her bag. It was stained red from her blood. "Here you go." She smiled awkwardly at Esther.

Esther took the dagger from Nettie and smiled. "Good. Now all I will have to do is get my hands on that ring of Alaric's tonight." Esther's eyes met Nettle's. "I greatly appreciate the help. I hope it wasn't too much trouble getting Elena's blood."

"Are you kidding? I'm around her often enough." She lied. "No problem."

Esther nodded her head approvingly. "Enjoy the dance tonight, Nettle. Again, thank you." Esther slipped the dagger into her knee-length coat. She turned around, and disappeared into the shadows behind the old tomb.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: **

Leila pulled up into the packed high school parking lot, Nettie in the passenger's seat beside her. She cut the engine and let out a deep breath. "Why am I here?" Leila asked out loud to no one in particular as they walked towards the school entrance.

"Because I didn't want to do this alone." Nettie whispered back. She spotted Elijah waiting for her on the steps. Her nerves were not having fun tonight. "And you made me go with you to that awful dance last time. Suck it up." She stuck her tongue out at Leila before moving up towards Elijah.

Leila hugged herself against the cold, scanning the immediate area for tall, dark and broody. She let her shoulders slump when she didn't spot him.

Then jumped at a tap on her shoulder.

Leila turned to find Damon all dressed up in a suit and tie, grinning down at her. "Well, here I am all dressed up." He said, smirking down at her. "You look good enough to eat Red."

Leila didn't know if he meant that literally. "Thank you?" she shrugged a shoulder, tapping the toe of her high-heels on the pavement. Nerves... Always with the nerves.

They made their way up the front steps, and inside. Leila made eyes at Nettie as they passed the two talking. But she was on her own now. This was a date with Damon.

* * *

><p>Nettie found herself more relaxed than she'd imagine she'd be, despite the fact that her belly was still filled with butterflies. Elijah stood with her against the wall, open to conversation.<p>

"I'd say, you do look absolutely stunning tonight, but we are here as friends." Elijah smiled down at the beautiful girl.

"Gross." She mumbled, scratching her head. "We should go inside shouldn't we?" She asked him.

"If you wish. We'll do whatever you'd like tonight, Nettle." Elijah held his arm out for Nettle to take.

* * *

><p>Leila stood with Damon at the snack table. She couldn't tell if he wanted to dance, or do something... She didn't know exactly what she wanted either. She knew he was here to watch out for Alaric.<p>

"I haven't seen Elena yet. Or Stefan." Damon said, handing Leila a glass of punch. He scanned the room slowly.

Leila took a sip of the drink. "Wonder why..." She sighed loudly, looking at him from the corner of her eye, wondering if he'd noticed. She wasn't about to ask him to dance.

"They should be here by now." He picked his phone from his pocket and started punching buttons.

Leila turned her head away from Damon and rolled her eyes. She understood his concern, but what could possibly have happened? He was probably just overthinking it. "I'm sure they're fine." She took a large swallow of punch.

"Stefan says she left hours ago..." He muttered, worried about where she might be. "I have to go for a bit. But I won't be long." He told her, not looking her in the eyes. Instead he watched the doorway.

Leila frowned. She almost expected that to happen. Elena was always on Damon's mind, first and foremost.

Leila tapped her foot on the floor. "Okay." Was all she said. She didn't want to say too much and actually show how hurt she was. She really wanted to tell him off.

"Alright Red, see you." He pat her head like he seemed to do so often these days. Then he left her there.

* * *

><p>Nettie was swaying back and forth to music in the center of the gymnasium next to Elijah. They made small talk here and there. But she had to admit she felt awkward.<p>

"Is everything okay, Nettle?" Elijah asked her suddenly.

"Why is your brother here?" She asked him, feeling nervous as the hybrid smirked at them from across the room. "He looks like he is up to something."

"I would assume he's watching for Elena's arrival. You see, it is important she stays safe. He wants to ensure no harm comes to her." Elijah followed Nettie's gaze to his brother, eyes scanning the faces of everyone in the gym.

"Right, because of the blood thing." She muttered. "Yes..."

Elijah pursed his lips together. "I wish to speak with my brother for a moment." he said. He smiled at her. "If you will excuse me."

"Whatever." She said, turning to head towards Leila. She wasn't having fun anyways.

Elijah made his way towards Niklaus. The fact that he had been watching his date told him something was off about the night. "Brother. Is there a reason that you seem to be interrupting my date?" He asked Niklaus.

"I seem to be in need of her services tonight." He smirked, "My hybrids have been acting out. I have a few friends who need assistance."

"This can't wait until later?" Elijah was a bit skeptical.

"I am not trying to ruin your 'date', Brother." He lied in return.

Elijah narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly. What was his brother up to? "Fine... As you wish, Niklaus." Elijah knew his brother would let no harm come to Nettie. He could tell she wasn't having too much fun at the dance, either. Maybe it was for the best if she got away from the party, if even for a little bit.

* * *

><p>Nettle sat alone next to Niklaus as they drove towards the mansion. She wasn't so sure she should have agreed to go along. But it was to late now to turn back.<p>

Once they arrived they made their way inside. "So. What am I needed for?" She asked him, twiddling her fingers nervously.

"I wanted to conduct my own test, if you will?" He asked Nettie, opening the white door down the dark hallway.

"You're back." The small red headed vampire whispered. She looked ill, green even.

"What is wrong with her?" Nettie asked him.

"One of my hybrids bit her. I wish to know if this is something you can.. Heal." He crossed his arms over his chest impatiently.

"Tonight? On the night of the dance?" She eyed him.

"Why not? You didn't look enthralled." He asked her skeptically.

Nettie went to give him a cocky remark, but stopped. He was right, after all. She was enjoying Elijah's company, yes, but the dance itself hadn't thrilled her the least bit.

Nettle sighed. "Okay. I'll do it," she said finally.

"Brilliant," Klaus replied with a smile.

"Eh!" she held a finger up to his face. "Don't thank me, okay?" Nettie raised an eyebrow at the vampire.

"As you wish," Klaus said, taking a few steps back.

She eyed the vampire before making her way towards her. She really looked awful. Gross even. "This is what happens when a wolf bites one of you hey?" She asked him as she glared at the red headed vampire.

"It gets much, much worse love." He told her, smirking as she leaned over the vampire.

The vampire's head rolled, and she groaned loudly, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Make it stop," she whispered softly, almost as if she was just about out of breath. She groaned loudly, clutching tight to her clothes.

"Ugh, whining." She muttered as she placed a hand above the icky bite. "You seriously have to be kidding." She cringed as she touched down on it. Closing her eyes she healed the wound.

The green in the vampire's face was already slowly fading. The look in the red-head's eyes, though, didn't change. She still looked as if her mind was lost far away, as if she were still not completely there.

"Don't touch me!" The vampire shrieked suddenly, slapping away Nettie's hand. Her nails raked Nettie's flesh.

The vampire's face went blank momentarily, as if something had just clicked in her head. Her frown up-turned to a wicked grin. "Mmmmmh..." The vampire leaned forward, closer to Nettie. "You smell... delicious." Her voice dripped venom.

The vampire lunged itself at Nettie without any warning.

Before she could think straight, Nettie was on her back. Her hair pulling from the up-doo Leila had given her. "KLAUS!" She stammered as the red headed vampire bit down on her.

"GET OFF!" She screeched, throwing the vampire back against the wall roughly. As she slid down Nettie felt something take over. Her body growing warm. But as she began to realize what she was doing she passed out. Just like the last time.

As the vampire faded away into dust, Klaus caught the small blond in his arms. As he began moving towards his room she cuddled closer to his chest. Her head lay against him and for a second he couldn't help but want to draw her that way. Asleep, and at peace.

* * *

><p>Nettie's eyes fluttered as she began to take in the large bedroom around her. She rubbed her eyes and swung her feet over the edge of the large bed. As she looked around she saw Niklaus.<p>

To say it shocked her would have been an understatement. But there he was, painting. She sighed, noticing the beautiful art all around them. He was some artist.

She climbed off the bed and walked around to see what he was painting. "It's me." She said, in awe of how spot on the painting was. How long had she been out for? "You are really good."

"Thanks little glow worm." He told her, placing the brush down. "I should take you back." He said, handing her, her shoes. "You'll need these love."

"Glow worm?" She asked him, raising her brow.

"Doesn't matter Nettie." He smiled at her. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yah. But I need to ask you something first." She said, staying next to where he sat. Looking down at him she gathered courage. "You like me." She said, matter of factly. "But you want to kill me don't you?" She asked him.

"For now, we need you." He told her, shocked at her words. He had thought of it. She took his brother's life like it was nothing. After one thousand years of immortality it seemed almost as if time was fleeting. "And it doesn't matter how I feel about little blonde glow worms. My brother and I have danced this dance long before any of this. It won't happen again." He told her.

* * *

><p>They hadn't spoken much. Niklaus felt oddly for the small blond who sat in the car next to him. But his brother had dibs, so he wasn't going to push the issue. At least he didn't plan on it.<p>

"I should get back inside, Elijah will be wondering where I went." Nettie muttered from next to him. "Thanks.. For whatever that was." She said, pushing the door open and escaping quickly towards the school.

Nettie approached the building quickly. As she neared, she noticed Elijah, Stefan, and Damon all standing on the side walk, deep frowns set in their faces.

She slowed to a stop in front of them, looking down at her feet. There was a huge circle of salt going around the school. "The hell is this?"

"Salt... It's a binding agent for a spell," Stefan explained to Nettie.

Nettie scrunched her nose, a disgusted look on her face. "What kind of spell?"

"We are trapped on this side of the line," Elijah explained to her. "We cannot leave until the spell has been broken."

"Witchy is working on a way to break the spell," Damon told Nettie.

"Erm, guys?" Nettie muttered, looking up from the salty pavement. "Why don't you just break the line?" She asked them.

"Nettie, don't you think we have tried that already?" Leila grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest. Something was clearly wrong, and it had nothing to do with any of this.

"You guys.. Honestly. Just ask me to break the line and I will, okay?" Nettie rolled her eyes.

Elijah pulled a cell phone from his breast pocket. "I'm going to call Niklaus, tell him to scout ahead for Elena's whereabouts." He walked away from the group, looking for a quieter spot to make a call to his brother.

"How long do you think it'll take for Bonnie to break the spell?" Leila asked Stefan and Damon.

"I said I could do it." Nettie huffed. Why didn't anyone ever listen to her?

"We can't even touch it. There's something blocking all of us," Damon told Nettle.

Stefan looked to the blonde and sighed. "Go ahead."

"Really, Stefan?" Damon rolled his eyes.

"What harm could it do? Go ahead Nettie. Try."

"How hard was that?" She asked herself as she made for the salt. Kicking her foot out she landed on top of it, scattering it in every direction as she moved her foot back and forth. "Doesn't seem all that hard to me guys." She said, finally moving back to look at them.

Leila's jaw was slightly dropped. "Why...?"

"Only you, Blondie," Damon said, stepping across the scattered salt, to the other side of the line.

"Seriously, witches are supposed to be able to actually do magic right?" Nettle asked curiously. Every time she encountered them it seemed too easy to get away or to break the spells cast.

Elijah returned to the group, looking a bit uneasy. "Klaus has found Elena. We must leave as soon as the spell..." He looked to Damon standing beside Nettie. He then looked down to the broken line of salt.

"The witch either doesn't know how to do this spell right or she just sucks." Nettie said, finally looking up at Elijah.

"This is strange," was all he said in reply. He hesitantly walked over the line of salt. "Well, in any case, we should be off. We have somewhere to be."

"I'll text Bonnie, tell her to meet us there," Stefan said, making his way to the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Leila sat in silence in the passenger's seat of Damon's Camaro. She drummed her fingers on her arms, which were crossed over her chest. She was still upset with him. He'd just blown her off completely, hadn't asked her to dance once... Yeah, Elena hadn't exactly been safe, but she was fine nonetheless. Damon didn't know anything had been happening. For all he knew, she'd just been running late.<p>

"I could call you Dark and broody tonight Red." Damon said, watching the small red headed girl next to him.

Leila glared at him. "Really, Damon?" The tone of her voice made it obvious she was very upset. His statement only made it worse. "Don't even start with me."

"Alright Red. No need to get huffy. I mean I get it, women have their days. But do I really deserve this kind of treatment." He clutched his heart dramatically.

"No need to get huffy?" Leila turned slightly in her seat to look directly at him. "Of course I'm huffy! You just abandoned me at the party! You didn't ask me to dance. You didn't even try to make it fun."

"I only went to that party with you to keep an eye on things. It wasn't a real date Red. Sorry if you thought that it was." He told her, truly feeling bad that he hadn't made it clear. He was there for Elena.

Leila's face went red. "You know, what Damon? Forget it! It's always about Elena. You don't care about anything else! Why in the world was I so foolish to even think you could be different, that Elena wasn't the only thing on your stupid, one-track mind?!" Leila held her icy glare for another moment before turning her head to glare out the window.

She could feel a lump rising in her throat, and she didn't want Damon to see her feelings getting the best of her.

"You don't even belong here Red. We already bust our asses enough for Elena. Two human's is A LOT OF HUMANS." He told her, pulling into the parking lot next to the cemetery. "All that will happen to you around us is unhappiness. And death." He pushed the car door open and climbed out, leaving her inside alone. He didn't have time for this.

* * *

><p>Elijah took his eyes off the road for only a moment, to look at Nettie as they neared the entrance to the cemetery. He'd been wondering what had gone on that Klaus had needed his date's assistance. He couldn't help but be curious. Klaus was always up to something. Why had she been gone so long?<p>

"So what happened? With Niklaus?" Elijah asked her, suddenly.

"He made me heal someone with a wolf bite. Some red headed vampire." She said, not thinking much about it. "Sorry it took so long. If she hadn't attacked me I may have been back sooner. But evidently when I suck the life out of one of you I can't help but swoon like a little girl." She wasn't so happy about that part.

Elijah frowned deeply. "You were attacked? Are you all right?"

"I wouldn't be sitting here if I wasn't." She shrugged. "Your brother looked out for me. He can be sorta nice sometimes can't he?" She asked him. It felt weird as she said it.. But there it was.

Elijah stifled a laugh. "Not often I hear someone saying Niklaus can be nice. It's usually the complete opposite, to be perfectly honest." Elijah pulled into the cemetery parking lot behind Damon's car, Stefan's Coupe coming up behind them.

"He wants to kill me." She said to him as they sat in the car.

Elijah furrowed his brow. "Why do you say that?"

"I killed Finn. It wasn't that hard." She shrugged, "I haven't spent that much time with you two. But I feel like one thing is clear with you and your brother.. If someone is a threat. You take that threat out." Nettie unbuckled herself and got out of Elijah's vehicle, having noticed Damon getting out of his car and Leila hadn't.

Elijah watched as the strange girl hurried over to the Camaro and knocked on the window, her friend the first thing on her mind, above everything else, even when her life was potentially being threatened.

Nettie rapped on the window. She stuck her tongue out at Leila and flipped her ears forward trying to make the girl smile. "Get out! Get out of the car Lei!" When Leila refused, Nettie pulled the car door open. "What is it? Elena is out there with Esther. We gotta go."

Leila shook her head, holding herself tightly. "Damon blew me off at the dance because he was worried about Elena..." She replied softly. "Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Elena... I just... I'm so upset right now..."

"Don't be silly." Nettie said, glaring down at Leila. "He'll get over Elena. She isn't made of chocolate Lei." As she spoke she began to grow hungry.. Now she just wanted this all over with so she could get some chocolate.

Leila nodded. She wasn't going to just forgive Damon that easily, but she'd at least go and see if Elena was okay. Elena was her friend. It wasn't her fault Damon was infatuated with her. "Okay, let's go," she said, taking Nettie's arm and leaning on her sister as they walked into the graveyard.

"There is something I should tell you." Nettie whispered to Leila.

"What's that?" Leila rose a brow.

"If you like Damon this much then I promise you will have luck on your side Lei. I can give you that much." She smiled softly as they entered the graveyard. Then things began to get real.

* * *

><p>Jeremy was the first to come out of tomb, his eyes red, as if he'd been crying. Elena came out behind him.<p>

Klaus had already left, taking Esther's body with him almost the moment everyone else had arrived at the tomb. He explained what had happened, what Alaric and Elena had relayed to him:

Alaric was to be transformed into the equivalent of an Original Vampire if he completed his transition. Upon awakening from his "death", he'd stabbed Esther, killing her for good. Elena and Jeremy were inside the tomb with Alaric, waiting to find out if he'd decided on following through with becoming a vampire or not.

Alaric's choice was pretty clear by the look on the Gilbert's faces.

"Elena..." Damon said softly.

Elena wiped the tears in her eyes. "He's not going to complete the transition," she told everyone softly.

Leila took a step forward, hesitating as she approached Elena. She shook her head and hurried to her friend, hugging her tight. "I'm sorry, Elena," she said.

"We missed it?" Nettie asked, kinda bummed. "I was looking forward to the dagger not working.." She muttered.

Elena looked up at Nettie through bleary eyes. "Esther mentioned the dagger... She said she needed doppelganger blood, my blood, for it to work... That wasn't my blood on the dagger and she still succeeded in making the ultimate weapon for killing Originals."

"Well she didn't.. Right?" Nettie asked Elena, worried that this was all her fault. She had Mr. Saltzman as her teacher and they had really gotten along.. "Because it was my blood. So she couldn't have used the dagger. Right Elena?" She asked.

Elena shook her head. "No, Nettie... It worked."

"I don't understand." She stammered. It shouldn't have worked.

"But..." Stefan put a hand to his chin. "You're not a doppelganger..."

"Clearly!" She snapped at Damon. "Witches make no sense! The spells they want to work DON'T and the ones that shouldn't DO!" Her head was spinning. None of this made any sense.

Damon shrugged. "Can't say I don't agree with you there." He frowned. "I'm going to go give Alaric some company... He doesn't have long. He shouldn't die alone."

Elena and Jeremy burst into another fit of tears as Damon disappeared inside the tomb. It was going to be a long night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Damon stood by the mantle, Bourbon in his hand. Elena sat on the couch, glaring at him. They hadn't exactly had a good start to the morning.

"I'm really sick of the Salvatore brooding Damon." Elena said, still hurting from the night before. "All I want is for us all to get along."

"We are getting along Elena. This is how it is now. You made it this way."

"I didn't make it this way, Damon! You're turning this into something it's not. Why do you have to fight with me and Stefan?" Elena shook her head.

"You think he is just going to come back to you? Good old Stefan and Elena?" Damon asked her angrily. "He isn't! You two are done. Over. So why are we all still waiting around to save you?"

"You're wrong, Damon! I love Stefan! And I know he still loves me too!" Elena put a hand to her chest, a huge frown on her pretty lips. "You're just jealous! Like you always are!" Elena stayed put, even as Damon stormed from the room and up the boarding house stairs. "Stupid, broody Salvatore shit!" She mumbled.

"You don't see it." Leila said from the doorway. She wasn't happy about what had happened with Damon but that didn't mean she hated him.

"See what? How long have you been standing there?" Elena asked her, relaxing back into the couch.

"Long enough..." Leila shook her head. "He isn't jealous. He really does care, Elena... He needs someone to care for him too."

"I do care about him!" She fought back. "I just don't want to date him!"

Leila ran her hand down her face. She understood what Elena meant. She couldn't understand herself why Damon didn't get it, though. Why wouldn't he just let go? What was keeping him from moving on. "I'll go talk to him," she offered.

* * *

><p>Leila knocked on Damon's bedroom door, waiting for him to let her in. But after a few minutes she decided to force her way inside.<p>

Leila opened the door wide. She didn't know what she was going to say that she hadn't said already. She didn't even know why she'd offered to come up and talk to him. What was there to say? The confrontation would probably just lead to more arguing between herself and Damon anyway.

"What are you doing in my room?" Damon grumbled from where he sat on his bed. He held his glass as if it were a shield.

"I told Elena I'd talk to you," she said, honestly. "Though I don't know the point of it, except it made her feel better to know I would." Leila took another step into his room. She hadn't been in there before. She couldn't help but be a bit curious. Ever the observer. She wanted to see exactly how Damon kept his room. Nice and tidy? Messy? She glanced around, trying not to be obvious of her snooping. She wasn't exactly in the mood to argue anyway. Better to distract herself.

"Well, tell Elena you talked to me and go away." He motioned for the doorway. "Besides, we aren't speaking, remember?" He asked her coldly. He wasn't sure why he cared about it, but apparently he did. They had spent a little time together lately and Leila had listened to his rants. She was patient with him.

Leila rolled her eyes, huffing loudly. "Have you ever been pleasant to be around?" She shook her head. "Because the way you've been acting ever since I've met you, you've barely said but a few nice things."

"I'm not a NICE person Leila. No one lied to you about it. This is me, I am Damon." The life ruiner. Always in the way. At least he felt that way most days.

Leila saw that clearly. No one had ever told her that Damon was a nice person. She just saw something in him, though, something that seemed pleasant. Whatever that was, he needed to tap into it and get over whatever it was making him an ass. "No. No one did lie to me, Damon. I just thought you could be happy... Guess I was wrong. You just like making yourself upset."

"Yes, I just love it." He muttered to himself.

Leila narrowed her eyes at him, scoffing. "So tell me, I'm so curious... What do you usually do to get over yourself? I mean, you have to be somewhat bearable part of the time for you to have so many friends." She was almost instigating him now. Something was making her want to hear the worst he could say.

"I kill people. I bring home tons of women. Blondes mostly. And I do whatever I want!" He snapped. "The people around here don't care about me. They keep me around to pick up my messes. They look out for Stefan, no one else."

"You bring home women? You compel them?" Leila shook her head. "No wonder they just look out for your brother. You need to grow up, Damon!"

Damon shot up at vampire speed, stopping right in front of Leila. She took a deep breath at his sudden closeness, inhaling the smell of Bourbon, the smell of him. "You want me to compel you, don't you? It would be so easy." He whispered, touching the side of her face lightly. "Leila, you want me to kiss you, don't you?" He asked her as he stared into her eyes, his pupils dilating.

"Yes, please." She muttered, unable to say no.

Damon reached down and kissed her softly, moving away just as quickly. But as he looked down at her he lost his focus. His glamor fell away. It was clear she was pissed.

Leila's face was red, her heartbeat pounding rapidly. He'd kissed her? "The hell was that about?!" she snapped at him. "You compelled me?!" She rose her hand to her lips and then to cover her face. "Really?" she stammered. She couldn't be more embarrassed, and more ticked off.

"I'm sorry." He said, baffled that the words even happened to come from him.

"Don't do that to me Damon. Not if you don't mean it. I'm not one of your.. Girls." Leila whispered, still holding herself back from hitting him. "Elena was right not to choose you."

Damon knew he had been wrong almost immediately after what he had done to her. But that was who he was. All he had to do was keep reminding himself of that fact and he could go back to being himself again.

* * *

><p>Leila slammed the front door behind her, slipping her keys into her pants pockets as she stopped in the living room only long enough to take off her coat and hang it up. Nettie was sitting on the couch, looking at her sword.<p>

"You home already, Lei? Thought you were going to check in on Elena?" Nettle asked.

Leila didn't even answer her friend. She hurried up the stairs, feet pounding loudly on the wood the whole way up. Nettie frowned. What the hell had happened while she was at the Boarding House?

Nettie looked at her sword and sighed, putting in on the cushions. "I'll be back for you in a minute, shiny." She patted the thing, shoving it under the couch, then hurried up the stairs after her sister.

She found the door cracked open just a bit, and she opened it wide and looked in at Leila curled up on the bed, face in her arms folded on her knees.

"Leila, what happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Leila told her, voice muffled.

"Lei." Nettie pressed.

"No, Nettie!" Leila grabbed a pillow and put it over her head. She didn't want Nettie to see her this upset over Damon. She'd been humiliated enough for one day.

"Seriously? You think I would judge anything that happened to you?" Nettie pressed Leila for information, "I always have to tell you. Come on woman!"

Nettie pushed the pillow away from her face, and raised her head only high enough that her eyes peeked through. She looked upset and tired.

"You can tell me Lei." Nettie sat down on the bed next to Leila. "I won't make fun, I promise."

Leila sat up, then leaned her head against Nettle's shoulder. "It's Damon," she said softly, almost on a whisper. "He... He... compelled me." Her face started to heat up and she could feel the humiliation kicking in.

"He what?" Nettie asked angrily. "He wants me to murder him doesn't he?" She clenched her hands into balls.

"Don't do anything to hurt him, Nettie..." Leila asked of her, giving her friend wide eyes. "Please."

"Well why not? I promised not to make fun. I'm not making fun. I'm making angry." She would kill him.

"Because... As much as I hate to admit it... He only gave me what I really wanted... I mean... I didn't really want it... Not like that, anyway..." Leila sighed. She was rambling. She shut her mouth tight. Nothing that she was saying was coming out right.

"What did he make you do?" Nettle asked, raising a brow worriedly.

Leila started digging her toes into the covers under her feet. "...Kiss him..." she said softly. She barely heard herself say it.

"Oh." Nettie whispered, but wasn't that a good thing? "Well... Maybe I shouldn't kill him. But I could still zap him a little for good measure?" She asked curiously. She hoped Leila would approve.

Leila looked at Nettie for a moment, while she contemplated the offer. She let out a little giggle. "Yeah. You should do that."

"Really, I can?" Nettie felt the excitement well up inside her. "You never let me! But.. Maybe this time?" She asked again, making sure.

"He deserves it. He shouldn't have compelled me like those play things of his." Leila shook her head. "But this doesn't mean I'm not mad at him!"

Before Nettie could answer her, Leila's cell phone rang. Leila picked up after looking at the caller ID. "Caroline?" she asked.

"Oh my god, Leila!" Caroline sounded panicked.

"Caroline, what is it?" Leila put the phone on speaker mode, so Nettie could hear.

"Alaric isn't dead... Well he is, but he's a vampire."

Leila looked to Nettie, eyebrows raised. "Oh... Is that bad?"

"Did I forget to mention he tried to stake Rebekah and I?"

"Oooh super evil Alaric." Nettie muttered.

"Well, I'm leaving the school now. I gotta tell Elena and Stefan."

"We'll meet you there, okay, Caroline?" Leila said.

Caroline didn't answer.

Nettie frowned. "Helloooo? Caroline!" The girls exchanged looks.

"What if Alaric caught her, Nettie?" Leila couldn't help but worry. "I'll go get Stefan. You go to the school and scope things out."

* * *

><p>"Where are you guys?" Leila asked, holding her cell phone to her ear as she drove Nettie to the high school. She knew Alaric was bad news, but she wasn't worried about her sister's safety one bit. If anyone knew how to take care of herself, it was Nettie.<p>

"Elena's," Stefan replied on the other line.

"Well, keep her there. Nettie's going to see if Caroline's okay... I mean, it could just be a false alarm."

"It's never just a false alarm," Damon said in the background.

Leila frowned at the sound of his voice. "I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up and looked to Nettie. "You'll be safe?"

"Nothing but." Nettie told her, smiling softly. "If I can take on an original then I should be able to handle this."

Leila nodded and stopped the car in front of the high school. "Call to keep us updated."

* * *

><p>Nettie walked into the school, eyes searching the area for any sign of Alaric or Caroline. The hallways of the school felt very ominous without any students occupying them. "Caroline?!"<p>

There was no answer.

"Caroline, you here?!" Dammit. She had come all this way for nothing!

Suddenly, someone grabbed Nettie's arm. "Shhh! He'll hear you!" Elena hissed from behind.

"Eww! No touchy." Nettle said, focusing on where Elena had touched her instead of on what she had been protecting Nettie from. Nettie wasn't into touching.

"Alaric's got Caroline," Elena told her, letting go of the girl's arm. "He's hurting her! We have to find them and get Caroline out of here."

"Oh my god! Elena no kidding." Nettie rolled her eyes. She had left before Elena had shown up for this reason. She didn't really need the annoying doppelganger. But the girl seemed unable to stay away. Nettie sometimes was reminded of Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Always around getting hurt.

Elena ignored Nettie's comment. She was getting used to the strange girl's way with words. Elena hurried off in the direction of Alaric's old classroom. Nettie followed behind grumbling as she followed the small brown haired girl.

* * *

><p>Leila pulled up to the Gilbert house and got out of the beater car. She approached the door and took a breath before knocking. Damon was there. She didn't really feel like dealing with Damon drama at the moment.<p>

Damon answered the door.

It would be him, she couldn't help but think.

"Hey, Red." Damon stepped aside as she brushed past him, into the Gilbert's living room. Stefan and Jeremy were sitting on the couch. "Hello Damon. Nice to see you. You look very handsome tonight." Damon muttered, pretending to be Leila.

"Okay, so I dropped Nettie off at the school... As long as Elena's here, everything should be fine." Leila looked peered into the kitchen from where she stood. "Did you guys like lock her up in her room or something?" she asked.

"No, she said she was going to grab something a few minutes ago," Jeremy replied. "Guess she got sidetracked."

A knocking came to the door, and Leila looked over her shoulder at it.

"I'll get it... Again," Damon said. He opened the door and sighed. "Klaus."

Jeremy walked up to Damon and glared out the door at the Original. "What the hell do you want?"

"Now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Klaus rose his eyebrows.

Stefan walked to the door, too. Leila decided it best if she just sat down.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Stefan asked, a little more politely than the other guys had greeted the man.

"Well, for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me inside."

Stefan put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Why don't you go up to your room?"

Damon looked down at Jeremy when he didn't budge. "Now."

Jeremy growled and walked up the stairs. Leila saw him roll his eyes as he left for his bedroom.

"Hmmm, poor lad. Looses one questionable father figure only to be replaced by the likes of you two."

Damon shrugged. "Yeah, about that. Something happened."

"You're going to tell him?" Leila asked.

Klaus shook his head. "Oh, I know all about my mother's invulnerable, little creation, and that's why I'm here. I'm leaving town, just need to pick up a few road trip necessities. Spare tire, flash light... Doppelgänger."

"Can't help you there!" Damon said and slammed the door in Klaus's face. Damon walked over to stand behind the couch and Stefan made for the stairs.

"Elena!" Stefan called.

* * *

><p>The two girls skirted the hallway carefully, Elena leaning into the classrooms one by one. "There." She whispered as Caroline's strangled scream broke out from Alaric's class across the hall. "She's hurt!"<p>

"She's a vampire Elena. She will heal." Nettie muttered grumpily. Who made queen Elena in charge?

Elena took a breath as she approached Alaric's classroom and opened the door. The vampire sat in the chair that use to be his, his feet propped up on the desktop.

"Right on time," Alaric said.

"Caroline!" Elena cried, hurrying over to her friend. Poor Caroline was tied to the chair, a cloth doused in Vervain in her mouth and pencils pinning her hands down to the table. "Alaric, let her go!"

"Do it yourself." He said back, smirking widely. "Go on then."

Nettle leaned against the old wooden door frame and watched as Elena moved towards Caroline. The brunette gave Caroline a reassuring smile, touching her gently before pulling one of the pencils out of the blonde's hand.

Alaric crossed the room in a blink of an eye and slammed the pencil back down into Caroline's hand.

Caroline screamed loudly.

"You said you'd let her go!" Elena scowled at Alaric.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires!"

Nettie stood straight and took a step into the classroom. It made her upset to see a person she'd actually liked turned into a monster like this.

"What is this Mr. Saltzman? Is this really worth any of this?" Nettie asked him. She focused only on the desk and not at Caroline.

"The world needs to be rid of Vampires. All they do is cause pain and suffering." Alaric looked from Nettie to Elena. "You always say you don't want innocent people hurt, Elena. What do you think the vampires are doing?"

"Innocent people get hurt everyday. You can't change it." Nettle tried to pull his attention from Elena.

Alaric sighed, narrowing his eyes at Nettie. "You think you can actually fight me about this, Nettle? I was created to destroy Original Vampires. Don't underestimate me... I'd hate to see my favourite student hurt." He laughed.

"You can't save everyone. Even if you kill them all, more will die. What would that accomplish?" She asked again. "There is more in this world then vampires Rick, we both know that. So you kill the vampires. What about the rest?"

Alaric growled, his eyes turning red and veins popping up over his cheekbones. He pounced at Nettie, Elena and Caroline screaming behind him.

Alaric pushed Nettie to the hard floor and pinned her down by the shoulders. Just as Nettie was about to kick him in the gut, Elena took a step in their direction. "Nettie, don't kill him!" she begged.

"She can't kill me Elena. But you should know that." He growled, rolling Nettie up against the door frame.

Nettie felt the ball of light forming in her left hand as she struggled to get free. If she could just hit him with it, she could drop him. "It's alright Elena. It's not him any more."

Elena shook her head furiously. "No, Nettie! If you kill him, you'll die too!"

"I'm tied to you, Elena not Nettie. But it doesn't matter. She couldn't kill me any ways." He smiled, throwing Nettie across the room, into a bookshelf. The shelf crashed down on top of her as she fell unconscious. Alaric's smile faded as a drop of blood fell from his nose. He lifted his hand to wipe it away, watching the pile of books for a moment. "It's not possible. She isn't a doppelgänger."

"That wasn't my blood on the dagger, Alaric... It was Nettie's. If you kill her, you'll kill yourself too." Elena pulled the pencil from Caroline's hand again, chucking it across the room.

"What is she?" He asked them, still in shock as he blocked the open doorway.

Elena shook her head. "We don't know, but we know she isn't like us... She's stronger than you could ever imagine, Rick."

Caroline pulled the Vervaine-dampened cloth from her lips, shaking as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She looked to Nettie, frowning. "Is she alright?" She jumped up and started pulling books off the small blond girl. "Nettie?" She called out, finally finding the small thing bleeding under the broken shelf.

"Let us go!" Elena's bottom lip trembled as she stepped between Alaric and her two friends. She had to figure a way out of this mess. This was all her fault after all... Her friends always got the bad end of things that weren't even really anyone's problem but Elena's. It wasn't fair. Elena couldn't let it continue.

Alaric pointed to Caroline. "She's a murderer. She told me she killed someone and liked it. Now how is that right? Listen, Elena, your parents led the council. It was their life's mission to keep this town safe. They weren't dead six months before you undid it all." He started talking but all he could think about was the smell leaking up from the broken shelf.

Elena shook her head, noticing the slightest look of distraction crossing Alaric's face briefly. "You don't know anything about them."

"Why? Am I wrong? Do you think they'd actually be proud of you? If you don't side with the humans, you're just as bad as them."

There it was again... Something was holding Alaric's attention. Elena bit her lip. She had no clue what was going on, but she could tell it was something helpful.

"Nettie..." Caroline looked at her friend. "...Gosh, her blood..."

Elena looked to her friends over her shoulder. "Caroline?"

Caroline was at the far end of the room in seconds. "It's almost intoxicating," she said to Elena. "You need to get her out of here Elena." She said, holding herself where she stood. It was tough, even Caroline found it hard to resist the small blond.

Alaric darted for Nettie, pulling her unconscious body up from the floor. It took seconds for him to bite into her like a rabid dog. He grunted loudly as his mind grew clouded with hunger.

"Nettie!" Caroline yelled, eyeing Elena again. She feared that if she grew closer she would fall victim to Nettie as well. "You can't kill her Alaric! You will die!"

Elena gasped as a figure came into the room so quickly, she could barely see it. The desk nearest the door splintered into huge pieces as Klaus grabbed a couple. He tossed them with all his might in Alaric's direction, like ninja stars.

Alaric dodged them, but just barely, one nicking his shoulder.

In moments, Klaus stood over Alaric, a flask of Vervaine in his hand. He smashed it over the vampire's head, and Alaric jumped away, screaming.

"Let's get out of here," Klaus whispered to the girl quickly, scooping Nettie up off the floor. They were up and out of the building in moments as he stopped in the woods nearby. He felt his feet touch down as he pulled Nettie's limp body from his. Panic rushed through him as he saw the large tear in her neck. Most people would be dead by now. "Nettle?" He whispered, "You must drink."

She can't die.

Klaus tore open his wrist and dropped blood into Nettie's mouth, watching as she coughed it down. But after a moment her eyes opened, her wound knitting together. But her eyes hadn't changed to their usual odd colors. Instead they were white, staring up at him. "Nettle?" He asked, trying to make sure she wasn't in another little trance. But as he spoke two small sharp teeth punctured his wrist. That unlike any he had seen before. Close together, and at the front of her mouth.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

After a few minutes Nettie came to, her mouth around something soft. She pulled away quickly and wiped her mouth, realizing it was Klaus that had saved her. "Eww!" She stammered, spitting into the dirt dramatically. "Gross, gross."

"Are we done here love? I really do have more pressing things to attend to." He said, trying hard to push his curiosity to the back of his mind. Right now he needed to focus on getting Elena and skipping town. He didn't need to be worrying about Nettie. That was his brother's job.

"What the hell happened?" Nettie asked, examining the blood on the back of her hand.

"We'll save that story for another time. I must be off now." Klaus told her, finding the words hard to find. But he made himself go at vampire speed, back towards the school. He left Nettie behind, in the woods; safe. At least he would know she had that.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?" Damon barked at Caroline. "I thought you said Klaus stepped in?"<p>

"Elena was with me one minute, and the next she was gone." Caroline covered her face in her hands. She was so tired, all she wanted was to help her friends and leave town with Tyler. But it all went so horribly wrong. Now Nettie and Elena were gone.

"What? You guys are still in here! I thought you would be running by now." Nettle said, walking back into the classroom. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on me?" She glared down at her outfit.

"Elena's missing," Stefan said, trying to maintain his cool and calm demeanor, but failing horribly. His loved one was gone, and no one even knew where to start looking for her.

"Klaus took her, obviously." Nettie deadpanned. "He said he had important things to do, places to be bla, bla, bla. I assume he meant Elena."

"What would he want to do with... Oh..." Damon frowned deeply. "I bet you anything he's planning to skip town, get away from Alaric."

Nettie felt a small pang deep down at the news, but she shrugged it off. She knew he was supposed to be big bad Klaus. He wasn't going to just stick around and risk death for her. "Shouldn't we be happy? He doesn't want her dead.. Right?" She asked them.

"That's the only thing we can hope for right now," Stefan said. "Things are always changing with Klaus."

"Well, I'm not sticking around here any longer. Elena needs us." Damon made for the door out of the classroom.

"Where is Leila?" Nettie said, stopping Stefan as he also made to follow Damon.

"With Jeremy and Matt. We didn't want her getting hurt," Stefan told her. "Don't worry, Nettie. She's safe."

"She better be, I don't want her hurt because of your affection for Elena." She knew she had really meant Damon, but she also knew that Stefan got it. He wasn't stupid.

* * *

><p>Leila tapped her foot on the hardwood floor, sitting in a chair beside the couch where Jeremy and Matt waited impatiently for a phone call explaining what was going on.<p>

"This is getting to be too much," Matt said, his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward, staring at his cell phone. "All of this is just getting to dangerous. Elena's life is constantly at risk."

Jeremy nodded. "I agree... It needs to stop."

Leila looked at the young men. "What could you possibly do about it?" she asked.

"We could lie to her. Take her out of town. She won't go willingly." Matt said.

"She wouldn't stay gone Matt.. Elena is stubborn." Leila wasn't so sure about kidnapping. It was illegal and all. But what about Elena? She wouldn't like it. She would fight it.

"It's better we tried than not lift a finger to save her from herself at all," Jeremy told Leila.

"Maybe we need to let her make the choice. Explain it to her, reason with her?" Leila asked, hoping they would come around.

"She'd never agree to it. She thinks she has so much going for herself here. She's so blind to all the bad." Jeremy sighed.

Leila looked away from the men, to the front door. Escaping Mystic Falls was probably a very good idea. It was a town filled to the brim with supernatural beings that wanted nothing more than to hurt Elena, her friends, Nettie... Leila wondered if Jeremy's and Matt's plan to take Elena away from this place was not that bad after all...

* * *

><p>"What is this?" Elena said, the first thing her eyes landing on was an IV sticking out of her arm. Her blood dripping into a small bag below. "What are you doing to me?" She forced a yell at Niklaus who sat across from her.<p>

"I'm draining you love. But don't worry. It won't take long. No pain." He said, smiling softly. It would be easier this way, without her. Not having to constantly go after her.

"What about your hybrids?" Elena asked, weak. She could hear it in her own voice. "You'll need more than this to create your army.

"These last few litres will have to suffice. There are other ways love." He could take his family back to New Orleans. Begin again there.

"Please, Klaus. Let me go, I won't fight you." She pleaded, pulling on the restraints.

"My family needs Alaric dead. He's the only living threat to us now... I think you understand what I'm getting at."

"Uh Klaus? I'm done packing. Where do you want this stuff?" Tyler walked in, noticing Elena. He stopped and glared at her as she bled out. He hadn't shown that he had broken the sire bond yet.. But he couldn't leave her there.

"Tyler! Tyler... Help me. Please." Elena pleaded, pulling again at the restraints.

"No. Tyler put that stuff in the car." Klaus ordered, knowing that he would have to obey.

But Tyler moved closer to Elena. "I said no!" Klaus said again.

"Just.. Just call Stefan. Please." She went on. But she was beginning to feel the blood loss.. She was getting so tired.

"Forget the girl, Tyler!" Klaus barked. Tyler bit his bottom lip, giving Elena an apologetic glance, and hurried out of the room with the luggage.

Klaus walked to the back of Elena's chair, putting his hands on her shoulders. His fingertips grazed her neck.

"Sweet dreams, Elena. It has been fun."

* * *

><p>Elena groaned softly, struggling to get out of the chair She felt the IV tug at her arm with each movement, and the pain was immense. It was no use. She was trapped. Would it really end like this?<p>

Tyler stepped quietly into the room, glancing around quickly as he approached her. Her started untying the ropes that bound Elena to the seat, his fingers fumbling with the restraints. He was nervous, she could tell.

"What are you doing?" Elena whimpered.

Tyler shushed her softly, pulling her free of her confines.

Elena gasped. Klaus glared in the doorframe. "Tyler."

Tyler stood up straight and turned, his gaze locking on Klaus's angry, fiery eyes.

* * *

><p>Damon frowned deeply. The mansion was empty. No one was there... Even Klaus's car had been gone.<p>

"Elena? Klaus?" Damon looked in each room of the large home. He found himself walking into a large room, whatever few pieces of furniture in there were covered in white sheets. There was a toppled over chair broken in three pieces strewn across the floor.

His eyes widened at the sight of Elena on the ground, unconscious. Blood streamed from her nostrils.

Damon hurried over to her and picked her up in one swift movement. He dialed 911 one his phone. "I need an ambulance." He muttered into the phone.

* * *

><p>Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, Stefan, Leila and Nettle sat in the large open boarding house living room. It had been a long day and they were all exhausted. "What are we going to do? We can't kill him now.. My magic isn't strong enough." Bonnie sighed.<p>

"We can't just let him run around town trying to kill all the originals. If one of them dies, so do some of us." Stefan said. Who knew what bloodline they were attached to? It was a gamble that no one could afford to loose.

"I could just zap him a few times." Nettie said, yawning. "I mean.. I killed an original before, right?"

"You would die.." Caroline reminded her.

Nettie frowned. "That is here say."

"We'll figure something out.. We have to." Bonnie suggested. There wasn't many options. But they had to come out on top.. They had to.

Caroline's phone began to buzz, as did Stefan's. "Oh no." She muttered. "Elena's in the hospital. We should get there. Damon says it doesn't look good." Worry took over as she stood up and grabbed her bag. "Can this day get any worse?"

* * *

><p>Leila stood outside Elena's room with Jeremy and Damon. Meredith opened it and stepped aside, so they could go in and see her. "She'll be fine," Meredith told the three. "It was just a concussion."<p>

"But there was blood," Damon told her.

"Again, she's fine. Don't worry."

"Can we see her?" Jeremy asked. Meredith nodded and Jeremy hurried inside Elena's room.

"We need to get her out of here as soon as we can, Meredith," Damon said to the doctor. "Alaric is out to hurt us all. She's a sitting duck in here."

"I wanted to keep her for observation... But I guess it's more important she goes home. Just be gentle with her." Meredith gave Leila and Damon a small smile. "I'll get the discharge papers ready."

When Meredith walked away, Leila and Damon entered Elena's room. Leila frowned at Elena, the girl's breath a little heavy, her smile weak. Leila felt almost sick to her stomach. What if something like that happened to her? Or Nettie? What if something worse happened?

She felt Damon's arm brush against hers as he hurried past her, to Elena's bedside. He smiled softly at Elena. Leila hugged herself tight. Maybe Jeremy and Matt had been right.. They had to get out of there. Mystic Falls wasn't the safe haven it had once been.

* * *

><p>They had all taken Elena back to the Gilbert house and made sure she was comfortable. It was the first time in a long while that they had been together like this.<p>

The doorbell rang, making Bonnie jump in her seat. "Look.. Bonnie don't be mad. I had no other option." Damon told her, watching as she made for the front door.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. She turned the knob and opened the door wide. Her eyebrows raised high. "Abby?" Bonnie turned to glare at Damon. Her mother had already skipped town on her twice.

"Bonnie.. Look, I know you don't want me here but I think I can help you." Her eyes pleaded with her daughter.

"If we want to get rid of Alaric without killing Nettie, we'll need her help, Bonnie," Damon explained. "You said it yourself. You can't get rid of Alaric on your own."

"I know we can do this.. Together." Abby said softly.

Bonnie sighed, stepping back into the living room.

"Can I invite her in, Bonnie?" Elena asked her friend.

"Is this a great idea?" Leila whispered to Elena, the two sitting together on the small couch.

Elena shrugged. "Abby and Bonnie have had a lot of problems. But Abby is a good person. She would do anything to help Bonnie," she whispered back. Bonnie nodded, heading back into the living room. Elena invited Abby inside.

"So.. You said you could help us. How?" Bonnie cut right to the chase, crossing her arms grumpily over her chest. She didn't have patience for the woman who was meant to be her mother.

Abby smiled at her daughter. "I know a spell that can break the bond linking Alaric to Nettie."

"How could you possibly know a spell like that? I know it wouldn't just exist." Bonnie didn't believe her. "You aren't even a witch any more."

"The Elders want to protect Nettle." Abby explained. "They have told me this themselves."

"HOW?" Bonnie basically yelled. She was exhausted, and having this woman here wasn't helping.

"They came to me Bonnie.. They can still do that. I was trying to do a spell.. I miss being a witch." Abby grew sad, "They came to me. They told me how you could kill Alaric.. They told me lots of things."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Damon asked, a bit over-dramatically.

Leila looked to Damon. She could tell he was struggling with something... Probably the fact that, even though Alaric had turned into a monster, he had still been Damon's closest friend.

"We need daylight." Abby said. "We can't rush it Damon. Nettie would need to have daylight in order to complete the spell with Bonnie."

"How? She isn't a witch." Bonnie shook her head, "This is ridiculous."

"No, she isn't a witch, Bonnie," Abby told her. "She's something so much more." Abby said softly, "We have to trust that together, you can pull this off."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank's for the reviews guys! Love hearing from you!**

**Chapter 11:**

It was early when the door bell rang again. Just as it seemed to always do when Nettie was just starting to get comfortable. She grumbled to herself as she puttered down the stairs towards the doorway.

"Elijah?" She said, she hadn't seen him in a few days. "What's going on?"

"Klaus said that you had a run in with Alaric. I wanted to check on you." He said softly, smiling. "You look strong as ever."

She looked down at her rabbit pajamas. Elena leant them to her so they were a little long in the leg. "Yeah, picture perfect." She said back, grinning up at him. "No one is up yet.." She said, motioning to inside. "I can't invite you in."

"It's alright Nettle, I am just glad to see that you are okay."

She shimmied out onto the porch, kicking the door closed behind her. "So where have you been?" Nettie asked, curiously.

"Taking care of some family matters that needed attending too posthaste. Things are being resolved now, though." Elijah smiled at her.

Nettie shivered as she leaned down on the porch fence. "Today everything could change." She muttered.

Looking down at her he sighed, he carefully lifted his suit jacket off and placed it over her cold shoulders. "I don't know what you mean." He told her. "Care to elaborate?"

Nettie shook her head. "Things with Alaric just got a whole lot more complicated."

Elijah frowned. "How so?"

Nettie sighed loudly. "It can never just be one thing at a time Elijah. One thing would be a gift for me." She acted tough, but she was really scared on the inside. "Last night I found out that the witch elder's know about whatever I might be.. They think I can help Bonnie stop him."

Elijah was surprised by her words. "That's a good thing, is it not, Nettle?"

"I guess. Just... How much before it's to much? How many times am I going to pass out. Or kill someone by accident?" She had no idea. She was lost.

Elijah wanted to comfort her, but he didn't exactly know how. He didn't want her to get upset with him. He didn't want her to stand there, unsure if he really cared or not either.

Elijah took a quiet, but deep breath, stepping closer to Nettie. "We'll continue to work on it, Nettle. I'm back now, and I won't be leaving again for a while. I'll help you. We'll figure this out together."

Elijah had never seen Nettie so broken and fragile-looking before. She'd always seen her as a powerful woman, confident and so sure of herself. This was a different side of her.

"Kay." She mumbled softly, leaning against his shoulder. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

* * *

><p>Leila's eyelids fluttered open at the sound of the door. She rolled over onto her back, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight pouring into room from the window. She sat up slowly and groaned, stretching. She needed coffee.<p>

Leila groggily walked downstairs, into the Gilbert's kitchen. She scratched her head and sighed as she started digging through the cabinets for coffee grounds and sugar. "Dammit..." she grumbled. She never went a morning without her caffeine.

"You look grouchy." Damon grinned at Leila from the doorway. "They're up there." He pointed to the cabinet by the stove.

Leila looked at Damon over her shoulder for a brief moment before turning around to open the designated cabinet. She sighed, happy, and grabbed the coffee off the shelf. "Thanks," she said softly. She was still ticked with him, but for the moment coffee made it okay.

She started the coffee maker, and leaned back against the island as she waited for it to percolate. She couldn't help but notice Damon was still standing there, eyes on her. "What? Did you want a cup too?" she asked.

"Nope. Just thought I'd hang out." He told her, knowing that there was still tension. But he did feel bad for what he had done. He just wasn't so sure how to fix it.

Leila grabbed a mug out of the sink and rinsed it clean, pouring coffee into it as soon as it had brewed. She took it to the table and sat down, inhaling the scent, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly. "Mmmmmh," she sighed before taking a sip.

"So. You ever going to actually talk to me again?" He asked impatiently.

Leila looked up from her coffee, to the man in front of her, standing at the opposite end of the table. "Should I?" she asked. "Give me a reason to."

"Do you need one?" He didn't think so. They had to work together in all of this so why should he need a reason?

Leila looked away from him. "...You really did a lot to hurt the trust I had in you when you compelled me, Damon." She put the mug to her lips and took another swallow of coffee. It hadn't been the actual kiss itself that'd made her mad. It was the fact that he'd actually thought she wouldn't get angry if he'd glamored her.

She sighed, "You may think that it's as easy as just talking Damon. But for me it isn't. I try my best to be nice, listen to you. But it's hard to watch you destroy yourself. I think for now we should just stay away from each other." It hurt her to say it, but it was for the best. She was seriously considering leaving Mystic Falls herself, even if Matt and Jeremy didn't decide on taking Elena away.

* * *

><p>The office was dim, but the light shone through regardless. Elijah had caught up with his brother before he had left town and forced them all to stay. Needless to say, Niklaus was upset.<p>

"I don't see how she can stop any of this Elijah. We should leave with Nik." Rebekah told him as the whole family sat around in the small room.

"I am not sure of the specifics. But I do know that the elder's are on their side. If Nettle is important enough that they stepped in then I think staying a few more days wouldn't hurt." He told them, staying hopeful that the small blond could do what she said.

"This is ridiculous. What can some small human do. Honestly. I am becoming bored with all of this brother." Kol shot him down. "We should leave. It would be smart."

"If we don't give the witch and Nettle a chance, we may have fled for nothing." Elijah pressed them. "She is stronger then we could imagine. I know that. You know that brother." Elijah looked at Niklaus. But he stood facing the open window, staring out across the open field where they had spent so much time with the girl.

"So you would risk our lives.. For Nettie Maxwell?" Rebekah asked him.

"I would try to help her so that we may all stay in our home."

"I must agree this time sister." Klaus said, finally turning from the window. His blood had been taken and he was left with no way to build his army. He would be helpless when their mother returned for vengeance. "We should give the two a chance."

"Then it is settled. We stay." Elijah smiled. He and Kol left the room, bickering still as they went.

The room grew deadly silent as Rebekah stood alone with her brother. She watched him turn back to the open window. "You love this girl don't you?" She asked him. The look he wore, something she had not seen in a very long time.

"I love no one sister. You know that." He told her.

"You lie a lot to.." She waited for an answer that never came. "He would be alright you know. He would understand." She spoke of Elijah. For all the bad Nik had caused, Elijah was sure there was some good in him still. Maybe this would be a route to that goodness.

"I owe him to much Rebekah."

* * *

><p>Leila sat on the bed, watching as Nettie pulled her jacket on. Nettle dropped Elijah's suit jacket on the bed. "You and Elijah seem to be bonding fast." Leila asked her. "That suit jacket was tailor made Nettie. He just gave it to you."<p>

"Really?" Nettie looked down. "Oh well, I'm sure it's nothing." She had to meet with Abby and Bonnie.

Nothing? Leila thought, Yeah. Right. "I hope this spell Abby is preparing you for works. I'm worried about you." Leila frowned deeply. She felt a lump rising in her throat and she swallowed hard, pushing it back. She couldn't let on about anything. She had to stay calm.

"I'll be fine, Lei." Nettie told her, shaking her head as she smiled. "You worry too much." Nettie kneeled down by the bed. "Think I should take my sword?"

"No." Leila smiled. "Look, Matt and I are going to meet up. I want to make sure you're going to be alright." She asked again.

"I'll be fine." Nettle muttered grumpily this time. She hated when people repeated themselves. "I love you. And have fun!"

Leila nodded. "I love you too, Nettie." Leila went to tap her toes on the floor but stopped almost immediately. She watched as Nettie waved and left the room. The moment she heard the front door slam shut, she let herself cry. She wondered how long it was going to be until she saw Nettie again.

But deep down she knew that Nettie had changed. She was independent now. Maybe she would be alright.

* * *

><p>Nettie pulled up to the large, open field where Bonnie and Abby had told her to meet them. She found the mother and daughter waiting, Abby smiling at her arrival. Bonnie looked a little worried.<p>

Nettie climbed out of the beater car and approached the women. "It's pretty light out here, should we get this party started?" Nettie asked impatiently. She wasn't into making another vampire friend.

"Well that seems like a good idea Nettle." Abby looked to Bonnie. "Are you ready to begin? The spell isn't an easy one. It requires patience and concentration. Bonnie will start. Nettle I want you to just be here okay? The elder's have told me that the power Bonnie will need resides inside of you. All you need to do is let her draw it for the spell."

Bonnie turned to the blonde and took her hands. She closed her eyes.

"Remember what we went over, Bonnie," Abby said.

"I know," Bonnie told her, her grip on Nettie's hands tightening just slightly. She started to chant.

For a while, Nettie felt like it was just a waste of time. Nothing was different, nothing was changing. If Alaric wasn't around, how would they even know it worked, anyway?

* * *

><p>Leila let out a little gasp at the sound of knocking on her front door. She picked up her suitcase and answered it. Matt was standing outside.<p>

"Where's Elena?" Leila asked nervously.

"She's in the truck," he told her. He held his hand out to take Leila's suitcase.

"She just agreed to go along?" Leila furrowed her brow.

"...I had to drug her," he said. "She's been out for like fifteen minutes now... Not too sure how much longer it'll last, so we need to get going."

Leila nodded and Matt headed back to his truck. Leila locked the door behind her and looked up at the house. She frowned. "Bye Mom... Nettie." She hurried to the old pick up.

* * *

><p>It was mid day Leila figured as she watched out the window. Elena was beginning to stir next to her. They had crossed the Wickery Bridge about fifteen minutes ago and they were now out of town.<p>

"What's going on?" Elena muttered from next to her, "How did I get in here? Matt?" She was clearly confused, as anyone would be.

"It was the only way I was gonna get you in this truck," Matt said.

Elena frowned. "The tea? You drugged me?" She looked to Leila. "And you were in on it?"

"I..." Leila started.

"She wanted to leave Mystic Falls. I told her she could come along," Matt answered for her.

"But the spell.. Bonnie and Nettie need us! We need to go back!" Elena started to panic.

"I'm getting you out of town, Elena. It's the only way to keep you safe. You don't belong in the middle of a vampire war." Matt pressed the matter. Lelia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the middle of their argument.

"Look.. Maybe if she wants go back.." She began speaking.

"We are going back! Stefan and Damon need us Leila." Elena began trying to get Leila on her side. "What happens when Alaric finds them? What then?"

Leila swallowed hard. "He won't... Nettie, Bonnie and Abby won't let him get that far," she told Elena, trying to stick to her original plan, trying to have an answer to all the reasons Elena wanted them to turn back.

"Turn the truck around Matt. I won't ask you again." Elena said sternly. She would fight if she had to.

Why did Elena have to mention Damon? Leila looked out the window and bit her lip. What if the spell didn't work? What if she was right? And if it didn't work... What if something happened to Nettie? Leila shook her head and sighed loudly. "Listen to her Matt. Turn the truck around. We can't just leave them like this. So much can go wrong."

Matt grumbled angrily as he turned the truck around and headed back towards Wickery Bridge. Back to the chaos he would never escape as long as he was friends with Elena.

Leila couldn't help but feel relief wash over her as they got back on familiar roads. She could feel the anger radiating off of Matt, but it was probably for the best they stayed anyway. All their leaving would have done was made everyone sad or upset.

"This isn't how our lives were supposed to be," Matt muttered.

"Who decides that anyways?" Elena shot back. She could see the bridge just ahead, as relief began to flow back. She just hoped the spell was going as planned. "Can I have your cell phone, Matt. I need to call Jeremy," Elena said.

"He isn't going to be happy that you're coming back to more danger," Matt told her, shifting in his seat to pull his cell phone from his pants pocket.

Leila looked from Matt to the bridge ahead of them. "Matt! Stop!" she yelled, bracing herself.

Matt and Elena looked up into the road, Alaric's figure standing in the center of the bridge. He looked broken, his body twisted, eyes bleeding. He was pissed. Matt slammed on the brakes and the truck spun out, taking them right off the edge of Wickery Bridge.

* * *

><p>Stefan drove down the roads leading out of Mystic Falls, Damon in the passenger's seat beside him. Abby had asked them to track Alaric via cell phone and to call them if something went wrong with the spell and it had not worked.<p>

Damon looked to Stefan. "He's stopped moving," he told his brother.

"There is a whole lot of blood. Is that normal?" Stefan asked himself as they exited the car. "What happened here?" He asked, looking up to the smashed up bridge.

"The hell...?" Damon walked over to the rails and looked down, into the dark waters below. "Stefan, track Elena's phone." He muttered.

Stefan did, his eyes widening as he realized what was going on. "Damon. She's down there." Stefan didn't wait as he plunged into the dark depths below.

Damon swallowed hard before he dived in after Stefan. He could barely see a thing, but he found his brother ripping off the door of what looked to be Matt's pick up truck. He swam over to Stefan, grabbing his shoulder and looked inside the vehicle. Elena was waving her hands, motioning to Leila and Matt who had already gone unconscious.

Damon felt something tug at his heart when he realized Leila was there. He swam inside and pulled her free of her seat belt.

Stefan unbuckled and grabbed Matt the second Damon was out of his way, turning quickly and hurrying for the surface behind his brother.

Damon gasped for air the second he broke the surface of the water and swam out to the street. He put Leila down on her back. "Leila! Leila!" he yelled. He she shook her.. "Leila, wake up!"

"Elena's not waking up." Stefan said over Damon's yelling. He began dialling 911.

"Please.. Leila. Wake up." He pleaded, watching as she lay limp in his arms. He bit into his wrist and shoved it at her mouth, panic filling him. She couldn't die, he hadn't made it up to yet. She didn't know how sorry he had really been. "Leila." He sobbed, placing his head into her chest. She was gone.

Matt woke with a start, coughing up water. Stefan hurried over to the blonde man and grabbed his shoulders, moving him upright.

The ambulance arrived in only a couple minutes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: **

Nettie rushed into the small elevator at the Mystic Falls hospital. Her sister had drowned. She was going to kill Matt. She rounded the corner into the small white room. "Where is she?" She asked Damon. He looked paler than usual as he stood against the doorway.

"Nettie," he said softly. Nettie could hear the strain in his voice. "I tried to save her. I'm sorry," he explained. He stepped aside, making space for Nettie to enter the room where Leila's lifeless body lay.

"LEILA!" She cried out, climbing onto the small hospital bed. "Wake up." She stroked the girls forehead softly. "Please." She whispered, her hand heating at the touch. "Wake up Lei." Tears poured from her eye's as she waited for something to happen.

"It's not going to work, Nettie," Damon said, coming inside behind her. "She's gone." He closed his eyes, swallowing hard.

"Where is he? Damon where is Matt?" She asked, wiping the tears from her cheek and sliding from the bed.

"He's still being taken care of."

"I'll take care of him." She said coldly, moving for the front door.

Damon stepped in Nettie's way, grabbing her shoulders tightly. "Leila wouldn't want you to hurt him!" He said to her.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? YOU know nothing about Leila!" She shouted. "Now get the hell out of my way before I take care of you as well." Damon had never seen her like this. If he was honest with himself, it was a bit scary.

"Nettie."

"Get out. Of. My. Way." She repeated.

"Nettie."

"Shut up Leila, I'm talking to Damon!" She stammered at the wheezy voice behind her.

Damon's eyes widened as he turned Nettie around. Leila was sitting up, gasping, her face pale. But she was conscious, she was looking at them. "You won't hurt anyone Nettle. Sit down." She said this time.

"Leila!" She spun around and jumped onto the bed excitedly. "You're alive!"

Leila reached to hug Nettie. "I don't remember anything," she said. "What happened? Why is Damon here?"

"He found you. You, Matt and Elena went over the bridge into the water. You were dead." Nettie said all at once. "He saved you."

Leila let go of Nettie and looked to Damon.

She looked so pitiful in his eyes, so frail and drained.

"Are they alright?" Leila asked them.

"Matt's fine," Damon said. "And... Elena's going to be okay." Damon walked across the room to stand at the bedside. "But you were dead... You didn't have a pulse," he said only loud enough that she could hear.

"Nettle, give us a minute alright? I'll be okay." Leila told her sister. Nettie grumbled and left the room. "Explain yourself." She said to Damon.

"You were dead. I gave you my blood, but it shouldn't have worked Leila. You shouldn't be here." He told her, sitting on a chair next to her.

Tears welled up in the corners of Leila's eyes. "I died?" Her bottom lip quivered. Damon only nodded to her. "Then why I am here, Damon?" her voice rose an octave.

"I think it had something to do with Nettie and me combined." He shrugged. He wasn't a doctor or a supernatural expert.

"Will I be okay?" she asked. "Jesus Damon I was so scared!"

"I think you changed Leila. Your like me now. Like Stefan." He said, trying to be understanding. He was scared.

"I'm a..." she couldn't bring herself to say it. She covered her face in with her hands and sobbed loudly. "I can't be!"

* * *

><p>Leila sat in her bed, her comforter gripped tight in her hand. She watched the door where Nettie and Damon had just exited and started poking at her gums. They ached something wicked, but she didn't want to say anything to her sister or Damon. Damon would just make a snarky comment and. Nettie... Well, Nettie was impatient.<p>

She quickly put her hands down in her lap when she heard them coming back through the hallway. Leila sighed when Damon approached the end of her bed, arms crossed over his chest. "Are you going to complete the transition?" he asked her, his expression grim.

Nettie looked to Leila expectantly. "You have to feed right? Otherwise you die." And that was not an option for Leila. Not if Nettie had something to do with it.

Leila looked down at her hands. She never wanted this for herself. She hadn't even had a choice. But she knew if she didn't complete the transition, she'd die, and she'd hurt her friends and Nettie especially.

Leila nodded. "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Great, so lets do this then yeah?" Nettie said, pulling out the dagger that had been left behind from Alaric's turn. Yes she had gone back for it. It was shiny.

Leila frowned. "Nettie... I can't hurt you."

Damon sighed. "You're going to be hurting a lot of people after you turn. Better to get over that feeling now."

Leila narrowed her eyes at Damon, glaring. "Really?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Unless someone has any other ideas. You have to feed, Leila. Vampires can't go without blood. And don't even suggest animals! That makes you weak. Like Stefan."

"There is nothing wrong with Stefan." Leila scolded Damon. "But you know that Damon. So drop it."

Nettie sighed at the bickering. She just rolled her eyes and sliced the palm of her hand with the shiny dagger. Leila's mouth shut instantly. "I gotta go to school today so make it snappy." She said, pushing her palm closer to her friends face.

Leila seemed out of it, like her head was up in the clouds. She grabbed Nettie's hand and pressed her sister's palm to her lips. The smell was so intoxicating and the taste grew from gross to delicious quickly. Leila didn't want to stop drinking.

"Alright Red, we don't need killing your sister on the list of reasons you hate being you. Come on." Damon said, pulling Leila off of Nettie.

Nettie was fine, she wiped her hand off, healing her wound after. "Kay, have fun guys. School!" She smiled cheerfully, as if nothing was different.

Leila watched as Nettie left the room. She looked to Damon over her shoulder. He still had his hands on her arms. He sighed and wiped the blood on her mouth away with his sleeve. "Now the fun begins."

* * *

><p>After Nettie finished school she made for the boarding house. Leila hadn't wanted to be left alone, so she'd gone back there with Damon.<p>

She didn't knock anymore, becoming more at home in the large mansion the Salvatore's called home. Instead, Nettie pushed the old wooden door open and walked right in. "Sup people. Bite anyone good today?" She asked loudly, joining the group in the parlor.

"Oh look, it's blondie." Damon smirked.

"Hey, Nettie," Leila said, looking a little less pale than she had that morning.

"What's wrong?" Nettie asked, gaging the room. There was some sort of tension in the air that made her uncomfortable. "I was only gone for like six hours." She said, waiting for them to spill the beans.

"We found out that before Alaric died, he'd told the council about us, and the fact that Carol and Liz have supernatural children," Damon stated. "They attacked Tyler."

"Ah. Well geez you guys, it seems like we are never going to escape this stuff. No offence Damon but I think it would have been better if we had just avoided Matt the night of the Mikaelson Ball." Nettie huffed, shoving her friend over on the sofa.

"No offence to me?" Damon raised a brow.

"Sure why not." She shrugged. "That's what people are supposed to say aren't they? I could have just said maybe we should ditch you guys now so we can have a break." She yawned, leaning back into the couch.

"But we would never do that," Leila said. "Ever. We're in this together."

"You wouldn't do that. I on the other hand would so do that." Nettie raised a brow at Leila.

She nodded, totally agreeing.

"Anyway," Stefan said. "We'll need to be extra cautious around town. We also need to be careful to be sure we don't let on that Leila and Elena have turned."

* * *

><p><strong>Later on that night:<strong>

Nettie had gone home and Leila almost felt relief. Her friend was great and she loved her but the smell was hard to ignore. Not to mention the sounds that came out of her. She hadn't quite began to learn how to lower the volume on her new vampire hearing.

Elena was upstairs with Stefan talking as per usual and Damon was out doing God knows what. Leila found herself sitting quietly in the room she was to call her own for a little while... She wanted to be anywhere but there. Her body felt like it was exploding from the inside out, she had energy that she couldn't contain. She needed to move not be stuck in her room.

Leila got out of bed and walked out into the hallway, hoping to bump into Stefan or anyone for that matter. She stopped at the top of the stairs.

What was that strange sound? She was sure she could hear some kind of rustling. She stopped and looked towards the window when a loud crash stunned her. She stumbled back a few feet before a white light took over along with searing pain.

"Leila!" Stefan yelled, heading for the men that had broken through their door. But there were too many. He couldn't do anything.

* * *

><p>Nettie and Damon walked up the dirt drive to the Boarding House. They'd gone out to do some recon, to investigate the goings-on of the council. They hadn't found out anything of interest, really. Only heard again the things they already knew.<p>

"Well, that was useless," Damon groaned, walking up to the front door of his home.

"All this council stuff bores me," Nettie said, waving her hand in front of her face. "Let's go get ice cream or something."

Damon sighed as he reached for the door knob... He put his hand down. The door was busted in. There was no door knob to grab.

"What the hell Damon?" Nettie asked worriedly.

"Leila! Stefan, Elena?!" Damon hurried inside, the door toppling over when he pushed on it.

The entryway was destroyed.

"Leila!" Nettie called. "This is bad. Really, really bad."

"We need to figure out where they would go. There really aren't many places someone can hold a vampire." Damon said quickly, waiting for Nettie to reveal the answer.

"Maybe the council is behind this... The Pastor has a cattle ranch. Those pens could easily be modified." Nettie grabbed her sword from the coat closet.

"What is that even doing here? Honestly." He eyed the weird girl.

"What? I take it places. Do things with it." No big deal, she shrugged. Why wouldn't she take it absolutely everywhere she went?

* * *

><p>Leila groaned, rolling her head to the side. Her breath caught in her throat and she started coughing. Something had set the inside of her mouth on fire.<p>

"You're awake?" Stefan asked Leila. "It's Vervain, it's coming in through the vents," he explained.

"Stefan, I'm dying. I need blood," Elena said. Leila turned her head to find the girl in the cell with her.

"She should have fed already," Leila said, coughing some more.

"Hey! Anyone! Hey!" Stefan started making racket. Leila grabbed her head in agony. Why did it have to be so loud all the time.

An officer came in, slamming his baton against the bars angrily. "Stop yelling or I'll make you." He smacked the bar again. "You want more Vervain? Keep it down."

"Listen to me. Elena's going to die if you don't let her out of here." Stefan clutched the cell bars tight in his hands.

Leila rolled her eyes, putting her forehead against the cold metal that confined her and her friends. The cool eased her aching head.

"Sorry, not my problem."

"She's innocent! Let her out!" Stefan continued. "She isn't one of us!"

The officer ignored Stefan's pleas and left the barn.

* * *

><p>Elena looked up, moaning softly, her eyes closed as she felt her body slowly shut down. She hadn't wanted to be a vampire, but now that death was knocking on her door, she wanted nothing more than to feed and live.<p>

Bonnie aparated into the small cramped cell, reaching out for the weakened, dying girl. "Elena." Bonnie pulled her friend to her feet. "Come back. Come back..."

"Leila." Elena rasped tiredly. Looking rapidly back and forth at the two. "Do you see her? Bonnie.."

Leila frowned. What was Elena going on about?

Bonnie smiled at Elena. "We're going home," she said. Leila winced, trying hard to ignore Elena's incessant yammering.

Elena's hands fell to her side as Bonnie looked up from her to the bars behind. "Gram's. What are you doing." Bonnie said, confused. "No.. Elena needs me." She shook her head.

Elena blinked a few times before Bonnie disappeared. There was no saving her. She had to turn.

* * *

><p>After a few moments of Elena and Stefan talking back and forth to each other Leila began to get annoyed. Leila felt her anger getting the best of her. It wasn't like her, to feel so upset. But it was just continuous yelling and screaming to her now. Ugh, why did Damon have to do this to her? She was ready to die.<p>

She slammed her hand on the bar loudly, shocking Elena who jumped in her spot. "GUARDS!" She yelled, her voice shifting to one she hadn't heard in a long time. Angry, pissed off Leila. "GUARDS!" She screamed once more, slamming her hand on the bar again.

"What is it?" Stefan asked, worriedly." Hoping that Elena wasn't dead in the cell next to him.

The guard stomped back into the building grumpily. "I thought I told you to shut up!" He snapped moved towards her quickly.

Her hand shot out, surprising Elena as she reached out, grabbing the guard. She still wasn't so sure of what she could do, but she did know one thing; she had strength. She slammed the man's face against the bars until he began to bleed, dropping him to the dirt floor at her feet. "Now will you please just both be quiet!"

* * *

><p>Nettie and Damon climbed out of the car. She held the sword in her hand feeling like a badass. But at the same time she hated the idea of getting more blood on her shiny sword. "So what, we just storm the place with just this?" She asked, holding up the sword.<p>

"Nah we don't need weapons. We are two badass magical creatures right?" He asked her, smiling. "Yoo-hoo! Anybody home? Big, bad vampire out here.. And some kinda shiny... Annoying thing that can zap you!"

The pastor swung the door open, "You ain't getting in here! Boy's!" He called out towards the barn.

"Give us Stefan, Leila and Elena!" Nettie yelled at him, holding the sword up awkwardly.

"Go away! You are not invited in and I'm not coming out!" The pastor yelled again.

Damon rolled his eyes. "You realize I have a crazy friend here, who just so happens to be very much alive."

* * *

><p>Damon watched as the men ran towards them. Nettie dropped the sword, he could see the pain in her eyes as it hit the wet grass. Throwing her hands out she began hitting the council members with light.<p>

Damon finally snapped to it, rushing one and snapping his neck swiftly, dropping him to the dirt. As the dust began to settle Damon could see his family and friends making their way from the barn. He felt relief wash over him, seeing Leila safe and unhurt.

"Damon?" Leila panted, approaching him. "Nettie?" she picked up her pace, reaching Nettie and Damon before Stefan and Elena were halfway out the yard.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked quickly, looking down at Leila's hands to find them bloodied.

"What the hell happened?" Nettie asked.

Leila looked down at her hands. She had the urge to lick the red, sticky substance off her fingers but decided against it. She wasn't a wild beast. She was still a person. "I killed someone," she said, and the words sounded strange to her ears. Any other time she would have been freaking out, but at the moment, she almost felt proud of herself. She felt kind of awesome.

* * *

><p>Leila sat on the rooftop of the Salvatore Boarding House with Damon, looking up at the stars. She bounced her foot up and town, thinking about earlier that night. Thinking back on killing that guard, she found herself feeling scared. She'd killed someone.<p>

"Long day." Damon said awkwardly, trying to small talk with the red head.

"Really? Long day? After all that has happened the last few days?" Leila raised a brow at him. "Damon I forgive you okay. I get it." She sighed, pushing her feet out in front of her. "It's been a hard few days and I just want to start over." Leila looked at him from the corner of her eye. "New me, new beginnings, right?"

"Really?" He asked her, "Just like that? I made you this way and you clearly didn't want it."

Leila nodded. "Just like that... You did it for a good reason, Damon. That's all that matters." Leila smiled at him widely. "But you have to promise me something," she said, suddenly frowning.

"Okay.." He said sceptically.

"Promise you will help me through this." Her hands closed into tight fists. "I'm really scared."

"You sure you don't want Stefan? He can be a little more PG.."

Leila tilted her head to the side, resting it on his shoulder. "I'm sure, Damon."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Nettie's head shot up as Leila's phone started beeping loudly. "Dammit Lei! Really?" She snapped grumpily, grabbing her friends phone from the table by their bed.

TYLER'S BEEN ATTACKED.

"Caroline's freaking out." She sighed, pulling their blankets off. "Great. Way to leave your phone here and make this my problem Lei!" She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and climbed out. She figured either Leila would want her phone back or Caroline needed some sort of help. Either way her sleep had been ruined.

* * *

><p>"So he just shot Tyler? Like.. With a gun?" Elena asked.. But it was a strange thing these days; getting shot in Mystic Falls.<p>

"Yes!" Caroline exclaimed. "Like a hand gun. Tyler had to jump out the window just to get away." They really needed to fix this. "He was asking a whole lot of questions to. About the council and the Pastor's house going boom last night."

"Is he on the council?" Damon asked her, "I thought Liz and Carol were all that was left." He had finally gotten rid of all the council members that didn't trust him. He thought he was scott free.

"Mrs. Lockwood didn't recognize him at all. He didn't even tell her what he was doing here. He was just drilling for answers." Caroline frowned. She looked frazzled. "When he shot Tyler, he did it because he knew Tyler wasn't normal."

"So someone else in Mystic Falls knows our little secret... Yipee," Damon commented, unenthusiastically.

"You think he's just after Tyler?" Leila asked.

"Mrs. Lockwood seems to think otherwise," Caroline informed them.

Stefan stood up from his seat on the couch, by Elena. "Then we need to find this guy and take him down, or at least figure out what he's up to."

"Of course we do. I mean who gets a day off around here? Certainly not me." Nettie grumbled loudly, slapping her hands down on her legs dramatically.

"Here," Caroline reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic bag with a bullet inside. "This was the bullet he shot Tyler with."

Stefan took the bag. "Maybe I can bring this to Bonnie," he suggested.

"She hasn't been answering text messages or phone calls since the night I turned," Elena told him.

"Then I guess I'll stop by her place, see what's up," Stefan told them. "I'll be back soon." Stefan leaned forward to kiss Elena's hair before he left.

Damon sighed loudly beside Leila.

"I want to go and check on Tyler, make sure everything is alright.. The funeral was supposed to be this morning and we all sort of played hooky." She felt bad. Normally Caroline was on top of these things. But not today. "Nettie, since you want a boring day why not tag along?" She asked the grumpy blond.

"No fighting?" Nettie felt her heart beat faster.

"Nope." Caroline smiled.

* * *

><p>Nettie and Caroline rapped on the door to the Lockwood house. The door flew open, revealing a stunned looking Tyler. "Uh, what's up?" He asked.<p>

"Uh, what's up? Tyler I'm your girlfriend and you were just shot. I'm here to make sure your alright." She placed her hands on her hips. "You going to let us in?"

His eyes went to Nettie, then to Caroline. "Look... Klaus is here with his hybrids. I think maybe now isn't the best time for a meet and greet."

"Klaus is here?" Nettie asked, trying to peek through the crack in the door. "Hybrids?"

"Uh.. Ya." He had always thought Nettie was a little strange. Nettie knew that. But the last time she had actually seen Klaus was when he had saved her from the school. And that was a little awkward to say the least.. At least she thought so.

"Look.. Just come back later, okay?" He said again.

"Really, Tyler?!" Caroline put her hands on her hips. "What the hell has gotten into you?!"

Nettie was still peeking inside over Tyler's shoulder, completely ignoring the bickering couple. She started to hop up and down. "Oh my god! Look at all that shiny stuff !" Nettie pushed past Tyler and she turned to glare at her. "You've been holding out on me, Lockwood! But I always had a feeling you were good for something." Nettie reached for a shiny, glass ornament.

Tyler turned to look at Caroline again.

"What? She can come in and I can't?"

Tyler scratched the back of his neck. "You know there's no arguing with Nettie."

Caroline growled loudly and crossed her arms. "You know what? Fine. I'll go. Don't call me tonight." The blonde vampire turned on her heel and hurried off back towards her car.

When she was out of sight, Tyler sighed, closing the door with a loud bang. "Did you really have to just barge in here?"

"Shiny things! Nettie told him, holding a little dagger in her hand. "I wasn't about to just leave without... examining them first."

Tyler rolled his eyes and left the foyer. Nettie pocketed the dagger and ornament, walking casually after Tyler. "What is it with you? I thought maybe when you got a bit older you might.. Level out a bit." But clearly she hadn't.

"What? I just enjoy the shinier things in life!" What the hell was wrong with that? NOTHING!

Tyler walked into the office, Nettie on his tail, hands tucked behind her back. He frowned deeply at Klaus who was sitting in his deceased father's desk.

"She's in the other room," Klaus said. "I figured it be best for your darling Caroline to not find another woman in your home." He peered over Tyler's shoulder, spotting the strange blonde girl. "Nettle, what brings you to the Lockwood family.. Home?"

"Klaus." She nodded shyly. Something new for Nettie Maxwell.

"I gotta go check on Hayley," Tyler said, shaking his head and hurrying out of the room.

"So, I just got off the phone with Damon Salvatore," Klaus started. "He agreed to assist me on finding this threat. Would you like to come along love? Lend your services?" In a weird way he hoped she would say yes..

"Kay.. But is it worth it? I mean excuse me if I am speaking out of turn but your hybrids don't seem as... Attached to you as they once were." She wasn't sure if he had noticed. But she knew about Tyler and Haley's extracurricular activities.

"I am not concerned with my hybrids, Love. They will always and forever be sired to me. Nothing can possibly break that." Klaus smiled.

"What if they weren't? Sired to you I mean.." She said quietly, picking up small shiny objects from the desk and peering down at them nervously.

"It would mean bad things for the person behind it. Why do you ask? Something up your sleeve, love?" He leaned forward in his seat, handles folded together in his lap.

"Nope, no reason. Just trying to find something to talk about.. Clearly." She eyed him as she shoved a small shiny paper weight into her bag. Klaus observed, holding back a smile as he watched her steal from Tyler's dead father.

"I assume at some point we should discuss what happened the other day?" He asked her, knowing it wouldn't bring any sort of answers. "I discussed it with my brother and it seems he is more interested in finding out what you are then before." He raised his eyes to hers again, forcing her to look at him.

She moved towards Klaus by the large window looking out over the Lockwood estate. "These people are rich, I wonder how many shiny things I can shove in my bag before they start to notice." She changed the subject, not wanting to talk about it anymore. At all... Ever.

She could feel him next to her as he turned to look along with her. "They are a founding family love, it is to be expected."

"Is it?" She had never had money to throw around on shiny things. "We.. I mean Leila's family are part of the founders of Mystic Falls.. They haven't really had money to throw around like the others."

"The Maxwell family has also had more than it's fair share of troubles." He knew Nettie wasn't really a Maxwell.. Just as he was not really a Mikaelson.

"Leila's father was a drinker.. Spent a lot of Holly's money on drinking and gambling.. They barely had enough to feed me when I showed up.." She hated to think about those days. Leila was so sad then.. But once they became close they always knew how to lift each others spirits. They had each other and that was enough.

He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "My brother cares for you a great deal as I am sure you know. But I can't help myself most times it seems." He just held on to her a moment, unmoving.

She stood stalk still, not hating the sensation of the hug she was getting. It was rather enjoyable.. So why couldn't she breathe?

* * *

><p>After a long day of research into the mysterious stranger shooting vampires around town, Damon and Leila had found something. He approached the old trailer, Leila close behind him.<p>

"Should we even be here, Damon?" Leila asked, her super sensory hearing picking up every little sound in the woods. "It's hard to focus." She rubbed her temple.

"Of course not. But we're here anyway." Damon opened the door to the trailer and stuck his foot in the doorway. To his satisfaction, an invitation wasn't needed for he and Leila to enter. "Wait out there. It could be a trap."

Damon walked inside the trailer, finding newspaper clippings and notes scattered across the whole mobile home. Leila stood in the doorframe, looking around without actually going inside. "What is in here?" she asked.

"Hmmm..." Damon reached for a clipping and was suddenly shot by two arrows. He stumbled backwards, fighting to catch himself.

Leila gasped. "Damon!" She sometimes found it hard to remember that a simple shot to the torso didn't kill vampires.. At least not most times.

"Um, yeah..." he groaned. "I'm going to need your help."

Leila's eyes opened wide. "What do you expect me to do?! What is that anyway?" Leila took a step inside and closed the door behind her.

"Well," Damon said, annoyance in his tone. "These arrows trigger a bomb."

"A bomb?" Leila

"No, Leila. Not a bomb. A kitten. An adorable, exploding kitten." Damon groaned. "Just listen! You need to pull the arrows out without tripping the trap." He flicked the string.

"Please. Stop. Just... Stop." Leila walked over to Damon, putting a hand on his back as she struggled with the arrows.

* * *

><p>"So you are saying that Elena's brother noticed some kind of tattoo on the man?" Klaus asked Damon as Nettie and Leila whispered in the background.<p>

"The kid says he saw something but I didn't. Leila didn't.. There wasn't anything there." Damon had a hard time dealing with Jeremy. But for a while he came along with loving Elena.. There was no ignoring him.

"Interesting." Klaus looked up as Elijah joined the office filled with people. "Ah brother, just in time. It seems we have a bit of a problem once again."

Elijah rose his eyebrows. "Is that so? What is it this time?"

"We've got a vampire hunter in town, and we have reason to believe he is linked to the Five," Klaus explained.

"As in the five hunters?" He raised a brow.

"It seems so. I think it is time for further investigation."

* * *

><p>"Meredith." Damon said, greeting the strange doctor that Alaric had once dated. "You said you saw the hunter following you?" He asked her.<p>

Klaus allowed Damon his banter with the doctor as he waited. If it truly was a hunter, they would all be in great danger once again.

"Yes," Meredith replied. "I don't know what he'd possibly want from me."

"It's probably the fact that you use vampire blood to heal your patients, love," Klaus commented.

"I have an idea, but we're gonna need bait," Nettie told the three. "Doc, you're it."

Meredith frowned but nodded slowly.

* * *

><p>Nettie watched as Meredith headed for the storeroom, a shadow slinking across the hall after her. The figure ducked into the storeroom when Meredith disappeared from sight.<p>

Nettie quietly dashed down the hall, and into the room behind the doctor, the hunter, closing the door shut silently behind her.

"Is the hospital really the best place for someone like you?" The hunter said as Damon stepped into view. Nettie came out of the shadows behind the man.

The hunter pulled a gun from his under his coat and aimed at Damon. The man grunted as he was struck by arrows. Nettie jabbed them in with both hands as hard as she could. Niklaus kicking him to his knees on the hospital floor.

"Stings doesn't it?" Damon asked. "I ran into these in what must have been your trailer. Funny isn't it? When someone uses your weapon against you?"

The hunter reached for his gun, but Klaus kicked it out of the way. "Hello, mate."

Nettie backed off from the hunter as he struggled to sit up. "Ohh he wasn't as bad as I thought he would be. Honestly they whined a lot about you little hunter."

The black man growled and tried to gently tug the arrow from his back.

"Keep it up, Buddy and we'll be scraping you off the ceiling," Damon said, smirking.

"You three are gonna kill me anyway," the hunter grumbled.

"Well, let's not be too hasty. I feel like we are just getting to know each other," Klaus chimed in, grinning ear-to-ear. "Besides. One doesn't just kill a hunter and you know it."

"Let's start with the basics," Damon said.

Nettie kicked the man in the ribs. "Who are you, where are you from, what do you know? Bla, bla, bla.." She deadpanned gloomily.

The hunter groaned again. "I'm not telling you anything. And if you think killing me will make it all end, there's another waiting in my place."

"You're one of the Five, we know that much," Klaus started. The stranger frowned, as if looking confused. "Ah." Klaus crossed his arms. "You don't know about the Five?" He smirked, realizing he may have the upper hand.

Connor grinned cockily, and tugged the wires attached to the bombs.

Damon grabbed Nettie and dashed out into the hallway, shielding her with his body against the explosion. Nettie looked over Damon's shoulder as the explosion dispersed. She knew nothing could kill an Original Vampire. But for a moment she couldn't help but worry about Klaus being caught in the explosion. "I thought he couldn't die!" She stammered, struggling against Damon. If the hunter was killed what would happen to them?

"It'll be fine," Damon told her, trying hard to hang on. The girl was really strong compared to most humans. "Don't worry."

When the smoke cleared, Klaus was carrying the hunter, wounded in his arms. "It looks like we've succeeded in what we'd come here to do," he said.

Nettie let out a little sigh of relief. Damon let go of her. "Why would you do that! Who stands directly in the middle of an explosion!" She scolded him worriedly. Anyone could see she was pissed off at Klaus.

"I can't die love. But thanks for caring." He smirked, his eyes glinting something mysterious, pushing past the little blond girl with a playful brush of his arm against hers.

Damon looked to Nettie. "I'm going to stay here and explain the mess... You go with Klaus and take our hunter back to his mansion."

"Fine, but if this idiot tries to kill himself again I'm out. No more Nettie helping you out.." She grumbled, following after Niklaus.

* * *

><p>Damon went back to the Maxwell house to pick up Leila. She had needed to pick up her things while Nettie was away. He walked up the rickety old porch and knocked on the door. No answer came.<p>

It wasn't like he hadn't already been invited in before. He'd come to pick Leila and Nettie up numerous times. He was just trying to be polite for the sake of the girls' mother being home.

He knocked again, and instead of the door opening for him, a blood curdling scream came from inside. Damon broke the lock and shoved his way inside. Making for the kitchen he found Leila.

She was holding her mother in her arms, hand around Holly's neck as she held her down to feed. He could see Holly about ready to fade into unconsciousness. "LEILA STOP!" He stammered, pulling the small red head away from her mother. "You have to stop." He told her, bringing her back to the real world.

Leila stared blankly at her mother, "Oh my God. Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so – I'm so sorry. I didn't – I didn't mean to." She mumbled, sobbing softly.

Damon bit into his wrist and pressed it to Holly's lips. Damon stared into her eyes. "You won't remember any of this. Leila came home, grabbed her things and left."

"Damon... What did I do?" Leila was beginning to cry behind him.

"Nothing you should be ashamed of. You're a vampire now. You just have to learn the proper way to be one. I am going to teach you." He told her, his heart pounding from the smell of blood around them. "Now grab your things so we can leave."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: **

Nettie followed Klaus back to the mansion. She wasn't happy at the current moment. Seeing Klaus stand around while things went boom had really hit her for some reason. She felt all icky inside. She wanted to go home and hide under the bed.

A hybrid met them at the front door and he took the hunter, who was still unconscious, from Klaus. "Take him downstairs. I'll be with our little friend shortly."

"You're back quickly." Elijah mused, greeting them by the front door. "Nettie." He nodded to his favorite blond girl.

"Your brother has a death wish." She told him angrily. "Honestly."

Klaus rolled his eyes, "I can't die, I told you that." He eyed his brother.

"Right. Well... Maybe a break is needed? Nettie we could go down to the training room and spar a little?" He asked her, hoping they would get some alone time. It had been a long while since they had a chance to talk.

* * *

><p>Damon threw Leila through the air. She landed hard on the dirt floor, missing a tree by mere inches. "Ouch!" She said, rubbing her butt as she climbed up. "You throw hard!"<p>

"You're a vampire. That couldn't have hurt that much."

"So you're saying if I hit you hard enough that it wouldn't hurt?" She raised her brow, knowing he was lying. Of course it hurt, it would just heal quickly.

"Would you like to test that theory," he teased. "You wouldn't hit me. You wouldn't even try."

"Oh I wouldn't?" She asked him, smirking. She moved as fast as she could towards him, Punching him hard right in the face. His body actually flew backwards, hitting a large white elm tree behind him. He hit the dirt floor with a crash. "Shit! Damon are you alright?" She asked, not realizing how hard she had punched him. She hurried over to the man and got on her knees beside him. "Damon?"

He moved fast, pinning her to the ground roughly. "That. Hurt." He admitted, smirking.

Leila breathed heavily under his weight. "I told you it hurts." Damon stared down at the girl, unable to move.

He hadn't thought of Elena in a long while. Helping her only when he had to. When Leila had been under the water, trapped in that truck he had thought of nothing else. He saved her first. When he thought she had died he couldn't breathe. How could he just be seeing all this now?

"Damon!" She murmured, pushing on him. "Get off!"

He heard her, but he almost didn't want to move away from her. He rolled away and they lay breathing heavily, looking up through the dense canopy of trees. "I think that should be it for the day." He told her, he had to think on all this.

* * *

><p>Nettie kicked Elijah hard, pushing him away. She moved back and took a breather, putting her arms up again. They had used her magic enough and now that they felt it was time, Elijah was showing her how to fight. She may not always be able to use magic. At least he seemed to think so.<p>

Nettie was almost positive she was stronger even without the fighting. They had been at this for at least two hours and she was getting tired.

Elijah rushed at her, crossing the room in a blink of an eye. He threw a fist at her, but she caught his hand in her palm. Nettie made to elbow him, but was unsuccessful. Elijah gripped her wrist and pinned her hand over her head. She had sweat dripping from her forehead.. And for some reason it only made her smell stronger then normal.

He had a hard time continuing at the realization of that small but huge fact. She breathed heavily as she watched for what he would do next.

Elijah looked back at the small bond, unable to think straight. He moved for her neck, running his nose along her pulse line. "Uh.. Elijah?" She muttered awkwardly. But it was like he couldn't hear her at all.

He felt his fangs aching in his gums, willing themselves to grow out over his canine teeth. The small familiar black veins forming under his eyes. It wasn't often he was unable to control himself. But here he was.. A child once again.

"Elijah!" She stammered again.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on keeping himself collected. Nettle always seemed to cloud his better judgement. He looked up at her, taking a breath in. How long would they do this?

He could hear Nettle's heartbeat loud in his ears, and he could do nothing more than brace himself for what was to come. He tightened his grip around Nettie's wrists and brushed his lips against her jawline before pausing only a moment to breathe.

She winced a bit, tightening her muscles. She must have looked like a child not wanting to eat it's broccoli but she couldn't help it. She realized now that she had given him the wrong impression. As his lips made for hers she grew warm, hot even.

* * *

><p>Elijah blinked rapidly as a bright light surrounded him. In seconds it was gone, and so was Nettie. She had never done that before..<p>

* * *

><p>There was a loud popping sound as her feet touched down on solid ground. She wasn't sure where the hell she had just been, but she knew it felt all icky. She looked around her realizing where she was. But as she turned around she immediately regretted it. "DAMON! EWW OH MY GOD! NO!" She yelled, turning back around. "Eww!"<p>

"Well you just showed up out of thin air! What am I supposed to do? Change in the hallway? Get out!" He yelled at her, pushing her quickly out of his room and into the empty boarding house hallways. "Stay." He ordered, slamming the door behind him.

"Well how the hell am I supposed to know what the hell even just happened!" She yelled at him through the thick wooden door. "How the hell do I ever know!" Everything seemed random to her..

"Uhh, Nettie? What are you doing here?" Leila asked, closing the door to another bedroom down the hall. "And why are you two yelling at each other?"

"Something weird just happened." Nettie told her, walking towards her sister. "I just saw Damon naked!" Leila began to say something but Nettie cut her off, "First I have Elijah trying to eat my face, then POP! Here I am, naked Damon! Yelling, slamming doors." She threw her hands up in exasperation.

Leila stared at Nettie in complete shock for a moment, before saying a word. "Slow down, Nettie! You saw Damon naked?! And Elijah what?!"

"Yes, Leila, sorry I got to see it first! Really, I am." She shuddered. "But yeah, Elijah's mouth was all up in my personal space. I was really super uncomfortable. Then I went poof. Like some kind of cartoon character. The only difference is normally in a kids cartoon you don't see nudity!" She winced. "I think that is what I was trying to avoid in the first damn place."

"So you and Elijah...? Is there something going on there that I totally missed?" Leila rose a brow.

"He's a friend." Nothing more. Eww! "Then we were fighting and he basically tried to lick my mouth! Who does that. Shouldn't you ask first?" She had no idea how these things worked.

"Uh.. Not necessarily Nettie. I mean if he thought there was something there he may have just figured why not go for it." She lead Nettie to her room, and they sat on the bed. "So he was wrong?" She was confused. It was obvious from the start that Elijah was into her. But this was Nettie she was talking about.

"I don't want to kiss him, gross." She reminded her sister, as she lay back on the large four poster bed.

"Gross? Kissing isn't gross." Leila shook her head. "It's supposed to be a good thing."

"Ya well, not for me!" She had never felt the urge to kiss anyone before... "Shouldn't it come along with some sort of feelings? I don't have any feelings towards Elijah Lei." She wrinkled her nose up.

Leila thought back to the little moment she'd shared with Damon in the woods. She'd wanted to kiss him then. And yes, there had definitely been feelings. "It should. Which means, if you didn't feel anything, then you should let him know he's got the wrong idea. You can't just string him along."

"Whose stringing? No one is stringing Leila. He asked me to fight. I was hanging out with that stupid hunter and Klaus." No one was stringing, were they?

"Well, you can't just leave things hanging. He's probably wondering what happened."

"Well he isn't the only one to be fair. I had no idea he was going to do any of that. I was asked to fight not make out."

"She just wants to play kissy face with Klaus." Damon said, finally dressed and standing in the doorway smirking. "You like them mean don't you blondie?"

She sat up straight in the bed and looked right at him, "Yah well you like them not interested so what's that say about you?"

Leila sighed. Nettie and Damon had such a strange love-hate relationship. One minute they got along, the next they bickered. It was never a dull moment with the two of them. At least not lately.

"You think Klaus even knows you exist other than as a pawn in his stupid army?" Damon said, sneering at her. "You are a bigger idiot then I thought."

"Damon!" Leila snapped, "What the hell has gotten into you?"

He knew what had gotten into him. Once again he liked a person he couldn't have. He destroyed every single good thing in his life. Why not worsen it.

"I don't like Klaus. I don't like Elijah! I like MYSELF!" She screeched, climbing off the bed. She shot a ball of light at him, hitting the doorway a few feet away on purpose. "Don't forget I can kill you dummy." She spat, storming out of the room.

* * *

><p>"So she just disappeared?" Rebekah asked, curious as to how the little blond girl was capable of so many amazing things. Maybe she should befriend the strange creature?<p>

"I shouldn't have been so... Out of control. I may have scared her away for good." He mumbled, sitting in the chair next to her.

Rebekah put a hand on the back of the chair. "Well, brother, I'm sure if it's meant to be, she'll come around sooner or later."

Klaus sat back listening in on their conversation but adding nothing. He felt giddy inside but was it about all this? Or about the hunter in their basement? He wasn't sure yet.

* * *

><p>Nettie stood in the woods outside the boarding house, trying her best to pop again like earlier. But the more she tried, the angrier she got with Damon. Why would he say things like that? Based on nothing at all!<p>

"You look like you are going to soil yourself." Damon grinned, jumping up onto a rock nearby to watch her. "You're all squinty."

"Shut up!" She snapped, "I'm trying to go poof!" She really needed a better way to say that. But for now it would have to do. "What do you even want?"

He sighed, "I came to apologize. I realize now that I was being an asshole."

"Leila sent you." She asked. Knowing the answer already.

"She asked me to talk to you, yes. But she didn't ask me to apologize." He lied.

"Since when do you act nice?" Nettie asked, raising a brow. Except when he wanted something.

"Since Leila asked me to," he said, crossing his arms. "She's listening. Just say you forgive me so I can get some rest from your sister's incessant nagging."

"But I don't forgive you." She just didn't forgive most people, ever. That was how she was. "But you can tell her I do. I am sure she will believe you if you lie really well." Nettie knew Leila would know the truth, but she thought it might be funny if he tried to lie. At least for her. "You like her don't you? I heard you were all cry baby broody man when she died on the bridge." She said, deciding to taunt him instead.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Nettie. "She was dead. You wouldn't cry for one of your friends if they were dead in your arms?"

"You two weren't exactly friends though, were you? No.. I think you want to make out with my sister. Gross." She stuck her tongue out. "To bad she isn't Elena huh?" She pressed another one of his buttons, hoping it would make him go away.

"No, she isn't Elena. If she was she would be head over heels for my lame brother." He whined. "Elena and I are just friends."

"Riiiggghhhttt." She rolled her eyes. "Friends. Friends who make googly eyes at each other." She knew they hadn't in a while but it didn't much matter. They had. "But she chose Stefan, so to bad."

Damon shook his head, "You told me to get over it. So I did."

"Just like that."

"Not just like that. It was hard." He sighed.

She could tell he wasn't lying.. And she was sort of beginning to feel bad.. Not something she was used to feeling. But there it was, sympathy or whatever. "You do like her though.. Leila I mean. Just don't fuck it up or else you are going to have to deal with me." He knew what that meant. At least she hoped he did. Because she wasn't lying.

Damon smirked. "I'm 173 years old. I know how to handle women, especially emotional red-heads."

"Do you? I heard some things about a certain doppelganger that may lead me to believe you're lying." Katherine had lead him on for 146 years.

"Katherine was using me. I see that now. I won't screw up again, Blondie." Why was he making promises to her? Did he actually think he might be into Leila?


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

"I cannot believe you talked me into this Damon. I hate you so much." Nettie grumbled, pulling on a stupid set of old hand-made wings. If she was being honest, they were shiny. But she hated the idea of being a faerie for a stupid Halloween dance she didn't care about at all.

"Stop whining, Twinkle Belle, it's for your sister anyway." He lied, really it was for his amusement.

"Oh my god Damon. Why?" Leila said, joining them in the living room. She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. It had been a while since they had talked about all this and she figured they had ruled it all out. This was a bit cruel.

"Because it's a Halloween party, and when you attend a Halloween party, you have to dress up."

Leila gave him a sidelong glance and a loud sigh, which he read as her telling him that was not what she'd meant by 'Why?'.

Leila eyed Damon's vampire costume up and down, her eyes straying to the large top hat atop his head. She gave him a lopsided grin. "That looks ridiculous on you in a good way," she commented.

"Yes I do like nice." He said, ignoring her sarcasm.

"You look stupid with the hat." Nettie said, telling her own truth.

* * *

><p>It was loud, bumping and thumping all around them as they entered. Leila's ears ached at sound of the loud music blasting and echoing off the walls. The strobe lights made her nervous, and she found herself slowing to a halt only a foot into the room. She wanted to turn around. She could smell everyone in the room, hear their heartbeats so clearly. She wanted to feed on something so very badly.<p>

Leila took a step backwards, into Damon's chest. She jumped slightly and looked at him over her shoulder. "We need to go," she said. She could feel the aching of her gums, the feeling she got whenever she was getting hungry.

"We can go." Nettie said, grabbing Leila's arm and trying to leave. But Damon stopped her almost instantly.

"We are staying. Leila needs to do this." He told her.

"Maybe we should start with a smaller crowd," Leila told him. "I want to feed on everyone here." She closed her eyes, trying to block the sounds of heartbeats from her mind. That was practically impossible, she realized all too quickly.

"That's exactly why we're following through with this," Damon put his hand on the small of Leila's back and urged her forward, motioning Nettie to go on with a cock of his head. "You're going to learn self-control tonight, Red." He snapped the lacey choker around Leila's neck and she glared daggers at him over her shoulder as they moved into the mass of swaying, sweaty bodies.

Nettie sat by herself, watching from the stairs. Head on her hand.

* * *

><p>Leila and Damon had practiced her self control on a few people. She did fairly well in Damon's eyes, but Leila felt no more comfortable in her own skin than she had that morning.<p>

She wiped the blood off her lips with the shredded sleeves of her vampire mistress costume and looked to Damon. "Is it supposed to feel this way?" She grinned nervously. They stood in the small bathroom at some random person's house.

Leila couldn't help but wonder who would offer their house up like this? Who cleaned it all up? Why was this tempting to someone? She would never know.

"Exhilarating?" he asked. His blue eyes almost looked neon in the strange fluorescent bathroom lighting.

"I want more," she whined, reaching for the door handle. But he stopped her.

"You've had enough for the night." He said, smirking, brushing her auburn hair away from her face and tucking a lock behind her ear. She was beautiful like this.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, glaring back at him nervously. Like she always did. She knew she liked the idiot, but after what he had done she figured their chance of ever being anything more then this had ended. But now, with him looking down at her like this, she wasn't so sure. "Your looking at me all funny!" She stuttered slightly, her cheeks turning hot.

Damon reached down and put his hand on her neck, bringing her closer to him. Then he kissed her. Leila was shocked, but she didn't seem to care anymore. He pressed her against the bathroom door.

His arms came around her waist and she could feel his abs through their clothes, smell the iron on his breath. She couldn't help herself. She wanted him even closer. Leila's breath hitched in her throat as he deepened the kiss. She moved her hands to his silky hair and knotted her fingers in it.

She could feel her fangs drop and moved away worriedly, trying to cover her mouth in embarrassment.

Damon reached up taking her hand away. Then he did something she was not expecting. He leaned down and bit into his wrist, offering it up to her. His eyes clouded as he waited for her approval.

Leila stared at the blood trickling down his arm before taking his hand. She looked to his eyes, looking for a sign that told her it was alright. He smiled. Leila closed her eyes, licking the blood from his wrist as she wrapped her lips around it.

She bit down into his skin and stumbled, and they fell back against the wall. Damon put his hand to the back of her head and pulled her close, closing his eyes, breathing heavily as she drank from him. This was a good sign that maybe, just maybe she liked him back. Although he didn't exactly explain what it meant to vampires. But he would.. Soon.

* * *

><p>Nettie pulled her phone from her purse when she heard it go off. She hadn't seen Leila and Damon anywhere for a while and she was more than welcome to answer her phone to anyone who called. "Hello?"<p>

It was Klaus. "Nettle, love, I've been trying to get a hold of Damon for quite some time now. He isn't answering his phone. Would you tell him we need him at my place? We're going to question the hunter."

"How did you get this number?" Was all she could think to say.. Ignoring his question.

"Elijah was kind enough to share it with me. You seem surprised."

"Surprised that you use a phone like regular people or surprised because your brother would give YOU my phone number? Both." She muttered, rolling her eyes as her sister and Damon made their way out of the bathroom.

Wait... Why were they in the bathroom together?

"Is something the matter, Nettle? You've gone quiet." Klaus said on the other line.

"Nothing. Just.. I'll tell them." She said distracted, ending the call without a goodbye. Nettie stood up quickly and hurried down to the dance floor, meeting with Damon and Leila near the exit.

"Nettie," Leila said. "We're ready to go when you are." Nettie could see something wild in her sister's eyes. Like she was slowly coming down from a high, or something similar.

"You two were making out." She said, a bit angry that she was left to do nothing while they were off in Vampire kissy land.

Leila opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know how to answer her friend. "Uh, we..." Leila started tapping her foot on the floor.

Nettie glanced down to it, then back to Leila's face. "Really? I hate this stupid place and you guys are off having all the fun!"

Damon smirked, "You could have had some fun. Plenty of willing dance partners here, I'm sure."

"Damon! That's Nettie you're talking to... " She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "She's never been kissed."

"NEITHER HAVE YOU!" Nettie said loudly.

Leila turned her head away, flushing from embarrassment.

"Well, she has been now," Damon told the blonde. He looked to Leila but she didn't acknowledge the glance.

"Klaus." Nettie said, blinking as she tried to process this vampire stealing her sister. She stared at them blankly.

"What about him, Twinkles?" Damon rose a brow.

"He.. He wants us to go over to his place. Talk about the hunter." She climbed off the steps. "Like now."

* * *

><p>The trio arrived at the Mikaelson estate half an hour later. There had been a bit of awkwardness in the car on their way back to town, but they got to the mansion soon enough.<p>

Leila was the first out of the car, unbuckling almost the moment Damon stopped the car. The other two followed the red-head vampire to the front door.

"Oh great, you brought the whole gang." Rebekah said, smirking as she let the group inside the house. "Who is this?" She asked, looking at the red head curiously.

"We've met before.. School.. And the ball?" She said to Rebekah, a little annoyed that she didn't remember.

"Oh! Right, right.. Not a human anymore are you?" She raised a brow at Damon.

"Don't go judging now, Goldilocks." Damon walked inside.

* * *

><p>"Holy shit! What is that?!" Nettie asked, eyes wide as she made for the hunter. He was tied up to something really neat, something that looked like a torture device.<p>

He smiled at her as she approached it, eyes wide with wonder. "It's from the inquisition. I thought it was a nice touch."

"Did you get anything out of him?" Damon asked, ignoring her.

"Not enough. He's mum about the council fire and he's not saying anything about this "Greater Evil" we're all supposed to be shivering over." Klaus looked to the black man. "You're full of mysteries, aren't you?" Klaus sighed. "The only thing I got out of him was his name... Connor."

The hunter narrowed his eyes. "I told you, I don't know anything." He struggled in his bindings.

"Thankfully, I know plenty." Klaus grinned. "Shall we?"

"What's the Five?" Leila asked, hoping there was a good reason why they hadn't just gotten rid of Connor yet.

"So many questions." Klaus said, "This is why we tied him up. For answers."

"The brotherhood of the Five was a group of highly skilled vampire hunters. We crossed paths with them in the 12th century, Italy." Klaus began to go through the motions. "My siblings and I had followed the Normans as they captured the South. Feeding, and turning people as we went. But with the bloodshed came exposure. There was a group of five vampire hunters, revealing the existence of our kind, making a spectacle of their deaths in front of the townsfolk."

He made sure that Connor could hear him as he continued, "Rebekah was to gather intel on these hunters who made a show of themselves for sport. Unfortunately for her, she fell head over heels for one of the Five... Alexander I think his name was. When he learned of her being a vampire he tried to kill her. Lucky for us, he told her about the sword that translated the tattoo across his chest and arm that was a map that led to the cure."

"The cure to what?" Nettie asked, pulling a sparkly wristband off her arm. "A cure to being a dick and killing people?" She trailed her eyes to the hunter.

"The cure to vampirism," Klaus said, grinning.

"There's a cure?" Nettie scrunched her nose. "Who would want that?" Who would give up being awesome?

"Rebekah for one," Klaus replied.

"Elena for another," Damon said as well.

"Really Damon? Did you ask her?" Nettie snapped. "I think this is all a bad idea. If the wrong person got their hands on that cure who knows which one of you biters would be in danger. Nope. I think we need to kill him and move on."

"Killing one of the five isn't in our best interest," Klaus told them. "Getting someone we don't care about to kill him is a far better choice."

"Well, whatever we decide to do with him, we need some more answers out of the guy first." Damon told them.

"Right. Answers.. So that we can kill him? I don't get it." Nettie said, annoyed no one had heard her.

"Answers so that we can find this cure. I need Elena alive again so that I can continue making my hybrids," Klaus told Nettle. "I think your brother would be our best bet. Explain to him how this could benefit Elena.. Get him to talk to Rebekah."

"Wait, so Rebekah knows where the sword is?" Leila asked. "And she never told you where it might be?"

"She wanted no one to touch the cure, not even me." Klaus seemed a bit upset by that.

"I'll talk to Stefan," Damon said with a wave of his hand. "Don't fret."

* * *

><p>"So she agreed?" Nettie asked Stefan, throwing her magazine down on the table and putting her feet up. "Great."<p>

"She said she wants a chance at it. She's tired of being a vampire." It was understandable to Stefan. To have a chance at a normal life was something some vampires missed. Children, growing old and dying.

"Boohoo." Nettie whined, "Honestly. Living forever, being super strong and fast. All the other awesome things that come along with it.. And just because you can't have kids or get wrinkly you waste your happiness feeling sorry for yourselves." She shook her head, "No thank you."

"You would understand if you were a vampire, Nettie," Stefan told her. "I understand your viewpoint, though. I really do. There was a time I felt the same way as you."

"Well yah, you can't even do regular vampire things.. Feeding off animals for hundreds of years would get old fast." She wasn't censoring right now, but she wasn't worried. Stefan was a big boy, he could handle it.

"No, I don't drink human blood like most vampires do, but I wouldn't change that. I become... a monster when I do. If I was human again, I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore."

"So you want the cure?" She asked him.

"I do," Stefan answered. "I really do. And I want it for Elena too, so she can be happy again."

* * *

><p>"He got away." Klaus barked into his cellphone. "I gave you one bloody job and you muck it up." His hybrids were really quite useless. "I left three of you here and two of you end up dead. Now all I have left is you."<p>

Nettie was bored as she looked around at the messy basement floor. Bits of hybrid strewn here and there. "Fine. Great. Find him or I'll make you wish you did." Klaus ended his call.

"Who cleans up around here?" She asked, curious about it. They were always dealing with someone or something attacking and trying to kill them. They must have someone on retainer?

"I'll get my hybrids to do it. We need to find Connor at the moment."

* * *

><p>Leila picked up her cell phone as she exited the Grill. She was on her way to the Salvatore house. "Hello?" she greeted.<p>

"The hunter got out. Klaus's minions are lame-tron." Nettie said, not even saying hello first.

Leila's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Wait, he escaped? How!?"

"You're not listening to me. Klaus's minions are crappy. They just let him get away." She grumbled. She got that way when people ignored her.

"I am listening, Nettie. I just don't understand how even lame-o minions could lose someone when he's tied up to a torture table with no possible means of escape."

"He's a hunter. He's got like.. Super hunter strength or something. How the heck should I know? All I know is he got out, so be careful." She ended the call with a click.

Leila didn't exactly plan on being by herself with that news. She'd been on her way to meet up with Damon, anyway. She made her way to the parking lot, towards the beater car. It was pretty dark out, but she felt safer these days.

That is until someone jumped out from behind her and stuck something into her neck. But she really hadn't much time to consider her poor decision because everything around her went blank.

* * *

><p>Nettie walked into the boarding house, dropping all her things in a loud thump onto the wood floor. Then she climbed over it and joined the group in the living room. "Heyo," she said, plopping onto the couch.<p>

Damon looked to her expectantly, then peered into the hallway from where he stood. "Leila isn't with you? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago," he told the blonde.

"I was on the phone with her not too long ago. Last I know, she was at the Grill."

"Then where the hell is she?" He asked, getting a bit angry.

Nettie noticed a look of genuine worry on Damon's face. "You tell me. I was with Klaus trying to deal with the escape." She told him.

"The Hunter. What if he's got Leila?" Elena asked.

"But why would he-" She stopped a minute. They had brought her to Klaus's the night before. He knew she was one after that... She was vulnerable.

"She's a vampire," Damon said. "A new one. She doesn't know how to defend herself." He headed out the room, grabbing his coat. "We have to find her."

"Ugh. Fine. But I don't get why you let her go there ALONE!" Nettie was super tired. But it was her best bud, so she had to go. Sleepy or no.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

"This is ridiculous." Nettie whined. "We aren't going to find her.. Connor isn't an idiot. She could be dead by now." And then they would just have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off for hours.

"Don't talk like that," Damon scolded. "She's not dead."

"Okay well, dead or not we have no leads." Nettie knew she was right whether or not Damon was upset. She was upset to but what was there left to do?

"Bonnie." Elena said out of the blue. "We can get Bonnie to do a tracking spell."

"We need something that belongs to her," Damon said, turning to look at Nettie as if she had something on hand.

"What? You think I just carry her stuff around with me?" Nettie hid her hand behind her back.

"She told me you take her jewelry, refuse to give it back. Hand over the goods blondie." Damon said, reaching for her hand.

Nettie grumbled as Damon snatched her hand and pulled a bracelet off her wrist. "I really wanna hurt you, you know that don't you?" She squinted at him angrily.

"Yeah, well, save it for later, when your sister isn't in danger."

"Whatever. I get that back after."

"I'm off to see Bonnie. You guys keep looking." Damon rushed off in the direction of the witch's house.

* * *

><p>Leila groaned as she sat up. She found herself in a dark room, alone. "Hello?" she called. She felt sick to the stomach. "Anyone there?" She wrestled with the bindings, holding her down. But there was no use.<p>

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Leila could make out rows of books around her. Like a library of some kind.

"Shut up!" Connor yelled, approaching her. He backhanded her across the face roughly.

"Connor!" a second voice came. "She's no use to us dead. We need to lure in the strange girl."

"I thought you brought me here to kill vampires. Why are you sending me out of my way to catch some.. Blond human." Connor said, moving away from Leila towards the voice.

"He'll be interested to know there's someone like her here. She's different, odd." The man moved in the shadows. "You can kill the vampire after we've got Nettle Maxwell in our grasp."

As the two argued Leila felt her bonds loosening. She shimmied hard under them until one hand slipped free. She kept it there, behind her back and waited for Connor to come back again.

"I'll keep an eye on her, then," Connor told the other man.

"Good. I'll be back in a bit." The hidden face walked out a door to her left.

Connor leaned over her, uncomfortably close. "You're lucky I'm answering for him, bloodsucker, or you'd be long turned to ashes by now."

Leila narrowed her eyes. "I doubt it."

Connor chuckled, the sound deep and dark. "You sound so sure of yourself."

Before Connor could stand straight, Leila grabbed his hair with her freed hand and yanked his head down so her fangs could meet the flesh of his neck. Leila drank in the warm, red liquid and snapped his neck when she had had her fill. She kicked the hunter onto the floor and stood from the chair.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. The blood of the hunter made her feel so strong, like she was bursting with energy. Leila recalled the other man said he was to return shortly and she ran off.

* * *

><p>Nettie found herself at the Mikaelson mansion. She couldn't figure out exactly why she was there, but something in the back of her mind had told her to check in on Klaus.<p>

The Original was standing at the bottom of the stairs, walking up to her. "Nettie? Have you figured out where the hunter went?"

"He's got Leila," she told him. "But we have no idea where."

Klaus rose his eyebrows. "Well, that's a bit of a problem. I guess now you will have more of a reason to look for him." He almost sneered at her. He needed everyone on his side to get the hunter back. Once the cure was his he would destroy it.

"Damon's on his way to Bonnie's house to have her use a tracking spell to find Leila." She didn't enjoy his tone. He didn't trust many people but she had hoped that he was starting to trust her. Apparently she was wrong. Klaus was just Klaus. Alone and afraid. "I hope she kills that son-of-a-bitch hunter and shows him a lesson."

"You don't want her to do that."

"Of course I do. The guy's a dick." She shook her head.

"No, Nettle. If you kill one of the Five, you're cursed until a new Hunter is made to take the dead one's place. If Leila were to kill Connor, she'd have to suffer with hallucinations until a new Hunter is brought to life."

"Why didn't you say that before?" She snapped suddenly.

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is we find the hunter before that happens. I need him alive, and you need to find your sister sane. Let's get a move on, shall we love? Won't hurt to keep looking until the witch gets back to us with a location."

* * *

><p>Leila was covered in blood as she stumbled towards the boarding house. She had killed someone and at the time it had been the right thing to do. But now she was beginning to feel differently. Maybe she could have tied him up or something?<p>

She felt herself turn the knob to the large wooden door, pushing her way inside. "Nettie." She mumbled, looking around wildly. "Damon?" She smacked her hand down hard on the solid wood molding that framed in the living room. "Someone?"

"Leila!" Elena said, running towards the bleeding girl. "What happened?" She asked, hoping that Leila would know where the Hunter was.

"Connor... " She said, Elena taking her towards the kitchen. "I killed him."

"Oh my gosh..." Elena parted her lips in surprise, then reached into her pocket as her cell phone went off. "Just hang on one sec okay?" She asked Leila. "Damon?" she paused as he spoke on the other line. "I know, I just found her bleeding in the entryway of your house."

Elena got up and hurried out of the room, coming back a minute later with a damp towel. "Here," she said to Leila as she put her phone away. "Damon's on his way."

Leila took the towel and stared at it a moment before wiping the blood off her mouth and her wrists, "Nettie." She said again. "We need to warn her."

* * *

><p>Nettie, Klaus, Damon and Stefan made it to the boarding house around the same time. Damon was the first to rush to Leila's side.<p>

"What happened?" He asked her, his eyes wide with worry as he handed her another wet towel.

"Where's Nettie?" she asked, ignoring him.

Nettie came in with Klaus almost immediately. "Lei?!" Nettie hurried over to her sister. She stopped a foot in front of her. "You didn't..."

"He's dead, isn't he?" Klaus asked Leila, a frown set deep in his face. "Bloody hell. He's dead."

"Nettie, they wanted to use me to get to you," Leila said, her eyes wild with panic. Her knuckles stood out white against her skin as she clutched the towel tightly in her hands. "Nettie, there was another guy who wanted to hurt us."

"You're talking gibberish," Nettie told her.

"You need to go lay down," Damon told Leila, peeling her fingers back from the towel. "You're freaking out." He watched her worriedly.

"You better put her under someone's direct supervision," Klaus said. "She killed one of the Five. It's only a matter of time before the hallucinations drive her to suicidal insanity." He watched the girl carefully, "But I must be going. If there is no hunter to catch then I have no need to worry over the cure." He smirked before disappearing from the kitchen, the front door to the house slamming shut.

"The hell?" Damon glared after Klaus. He looked to Nettie. "Suicidal insanity? What did he mean by that, Blondie?" he asked her. She'd been with Klaus all night. She had to know something.

Nettie frowned. "There's a curse that comes with killing a member of the Five. You'll get hallucinations, and they just get worse and worse." She waited a moment, "Think complete madness times 100."

Leila tensed beside Elena and Damon. "I feel fine," she said softly. "I'll be fine."

"You can't just say you'll be fine Lei. This curse is serious. Klaus said he suffered through it for like 52 years before another hunter was born.. This is an original vampire we are talking about." Nettie shook her head, running her hands up through her hair in frustration. "We need to find the next hunter. We have to do it before you turn into a character from some HP Lovecraft book."

Leila stood up and shook her head. "Stop worrying about me. If Klaus could deal with it, so can I. I'll be fine." In reality, she was scared, scared so much she didn't want anyone else to know.

"Right." Nettie sighed, "Why do I feel like the sane one right now? This is unusual." She grumbled. "If you think you can handle this.. Then good luck with that." She was upset with Leila for not taking the situation seriously. This was bad, very bad. They had to find the next hunter, fast.

* * *

><p>Damon and Nettie whispered in the hallway outside Leila's room as the girl slept off the day. They both agreed that this was a lot worse then Leila was making it out to be.<p>

"I know it's Jeremy we just have to figure out how to activate his curse. If we talk to Klaus I think we can figure this out." Damon whispered.

"You mean you want me to talk to Klaus." She raised her brow. "I told you I am not into him. Why you think I am is beyond me." She knew deep down she didn't really know her feelings towards him. One day he was nice the next untrusting and secretive. "You go talk to him. I'm exhausted!" She let her hands fall loudly to her sides before she left Damon alone to deal with this problem. She hadn't slept in a few days and it was starting to catch up to her.

Damon watched after Nettie as she walked down the hall, towards a spare bedroom. He knew Nettie was their best tool to getting help from Klaus, whether she liked that fact or not. Klaus never made her commit to deals. He usually just helped her, no strings attached... Usually.

Damon went to leave the boarding house, to the Mikaelson mansion to talk to Klaus. Nothing at the moment was going to convince Nettie that a conversation with Klaus was more important than sleep, especially when Leila was so adamant that she was going to be alright.

* * *

><p>Leila woke up with a start, sitting upright in bed. Her heart was pounding so hard, it felt as if it would rip from her chest. She looked to her bedroom door, wide-eyed.<p>

"Dad?" she asked. Earl sat crossed legged across from her in the large comfy chair by the window. Billows of smoke fell from his lips as he stared back at her. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Ain't you supposed to be dead girlie?" He asked her, his voice gravelly and low.

"Dead?" she frowned. "Damon saved me," she told him, swallowing. Why was her dad here?

"You ain't saved. You turned into one of those.. Monsters our family been killin' for decades. Ain't much livin' involved in that." He shook his head, shifting his hat.

"Dad, why are you here?" She felt a lump rising in her throat. She hated this man. Why would he come to judge her? "You shouldn't be here."

"Look who's talking." He leaned forward angrily. "You shouldn't be here. It ain't right Leila. What would your mother say?" The colors of his eyes swirled from brown to red, back and forth. Like some sort of ghostly figure.

Leila stood up out of the bed, grabbing the first coat she found, slung over a little stool. She slipped it on, covering up her gown. "Get out!" He had no right bringing up her mother. And he had no right telling her she wasn't supposed to exist anymore.

"You're just like your father. Running from what is important. Death ain't something to run from Leila. There is so much more on the other side. But you'll figure that out soon enough."

Leila frowned, anger boiling inside her. She'd had enough. She felt her tears spilling over. "Leave me alone!" Leila exclaimed, dashing out of the room and out the Boarding House at vampire speed.

* * *

><p>Damon approached the Mikaelson mansion. It was really late, but he didn't have any other option, but to bug the grumpy Niklaus. Now he'd just be even more irritable. Great.<p>

Damon knocked, and it took a minute before someone answered. Rebekah sneered at him.

"The hell are you doing here this time of night? Some of us are working up on our beauty sleep you know," Rebekah told Damon, frowning deeply.

"I need to talk to Klaus. We have a hunter problem, and he just up and left before we could get any answers." Damon crossed his arms. Are you going to let me in or do I have to force myself inside?"

"What do I get if I give away all my secrets?" Klaus interrupted, making his way down the staircase.

"And you see?" Damon rolled his eyes. "This is exactly why I wanted Nettie to come in my place. No little deals, no secret arrangements."

"I would say the same thing to her. All of your little friends hanging around us all the time, getting help.. If you all want answers, you will owe me. No exceptions." He couldn't keep giving the girl special treatment. He hadn't meant to anyways.. She just happened to be useful to him. He told himself daily that that was all she was to him; useful.

"Listen Klaus. You know what's going to happen to Leila. You told Nettie yourself. Jeremy's seeing the tattoos. He's the next hunter. You just need to tell us how to actually make him one of the Five, and I'll leave you alone. Simple, right?" Damon smirked.

"You don't make the deals here. If Jeremy turns then I will need access to him. That's the deal. Take it or leave it, I could care less." Klaus crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at Damon.

Damon growled softly. "Fine. Now, tell me how this works."

"He has to kill a vampire." He shrugged. "If as he said, he saw the tattoo then he should be the next hunter."

* * *

><p>Nettie yawned, climbing out of the ridiculous four poster bed. She couldn't help but think each bedroom was filled with useless items. A person didn't need all this. But going back home was starting to feel lonely. And Leila's mother was acting funny these days. Almost as if Nettie was no longer welcome as long as Leila was gone.<p>

She could hear the beeping from her phone, ignoring it as she showered in the large full bathroom. She what felt like ten knobs before she actually got hot water. Nothing about this damn house made her feel happy. Soon she would need to get her own place. There was no other option.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Leila found herself in front of the Mystic Grill, shaking, crying, hugging herself tight. She felt hysterical. "Go away," Leila cried. "Everyone, please just leave me alone. I don't wanna die." She covered her face in her hands.

"All you're doing is causing everyone around you heartbreak, Lei." Nettie said. "You're hurting me. All that's come of you turning is stress, pain and troubles."

"I never meant to hurt you!" Leila cried out.

* * *

><p>Damon showed back up at the Boarding House, knocking on Nettie's door. "Get up! We need to kill someone." He yelled, pushing the door open. But Nettie wasn't there. "Dammit!" He snapped, slamming the door again.<p>

Damon stepped into the living room, where Elena was sitting up with Stefan in front of the fireplace. "Where's Jeremy?" Damon asked suddenly.

"Why? What do you want with Jere?" Elena asked, looking over at Damon quizzically.

"He needs to kill a vampire to stop the Hunter's Curse," Damon told them. "Get Jeremy and I'll supply the vampire." Stefan grabbed his phone and started dialing.

"Why do we need a vampire?" Nettie asked, joining them in the living room. She had her hands filled with little animal cookies. "What's going on?" She had been raiding the kitchen for at least half an hour.

"Jeremy's the next person in line to become one of the Five. To make that happen, he needs to kill a vampire."

"Do we want Jeremy to become part of the five?" Elena asked, a worried look on her face. "I dunno Damon.. There could be another way."

"No." Nettie shook her head. "I think if there was then Klaus would have told you." She eyed Damon. She really didn't give a shit if there was another way. This was the fastest way. "Unless I could fix her. But I don't think my magic stretches that far." Not that she had any idea. Maybe she was feeling a bit selfish this time.

Doing magic made Nettie tired. She felt it in her bones, a sleepiness that called to her. Maybe just this once she could get a pass. Next time she would try.

* * *

><p>Damon met Jeremy and Stefan in front of the Grill. Damon held a limp body in his arms. He dropped the body to the ground at Jeremy's feet. "She'll wake up any minute now. Stake her and get this all over with."<p>

"You're awfully snappy tonight," Jeremy muttered. "Besides.. You don't know this girl and you just killed her. This all doesn't feel right Damon." He shook his head, handing the stake back to Damon. "No."

"If you don't then Leila will go insane. You want that?" He asked.

"It was her choice to kill the hunter. Why should this girl die because of that?" Jeremy was not into killing random innocent people.

"Jeremy.. This girl is going to wake up. When she does she will be hungry. She will kill other innocent people. Kill her and save Leila." Damon tried to convince him.

Stefan looked to his brother, a little surprised. He wanted to say something, but decided not to. Now wasn't the time. He looked to Jeremy. "He's right. It's too late to save the girl now." He may not fully agree with his brother's actions. But Damon had already followed through.

The girl at Jeremy's feet stirred. She groaned, sitting up.

"Jeremy!" Damon's eyes met the Gilbert boy's. "Do it!"

Jeremy looked at the stake in his hand, then down at the vampire. He rose his hand, frowning, then drove the wood through the girl's heart.

* * *

><p>Leila turned. She couldn't take it anymore. She'd thought she could handle the curse, but it was impossible.<p>

"You know it's the right thing to do," Connor said to her. "You know you should kill yourself."

Leila's bottom lip trembled. "Stop it..." she whined softly.

"Leila, you..." Connor's image vanished in front of her.

Leila blinked. She turned her head quickly, spinning on her heel to look around herself. It was quiet. No one was there. Leila could actually feel a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

Leila fell to her knees in the dirt. "Is it over?" she asked herself.

* * *

><p>Damon and Nettie stood impatiently in the hall of the Boarding House. The rest of the gang had convinced them to come back home. If Leila would show up anywhere, it'd be there.<p>

It had been almost half an hour since Jeremy had killed the vampire. It had to have worked. Jeremy could see a tattoo on his arm. He was one of the Five.

The front door slowly opened, and Damon stood straight, looking anxiously to see who was coming in. He and Nettie had already been disappointed by Caroline's arrival a few minutes after their return.

Leila stood in the door frame, looking up at Nettie and Damon. Her cheeks were streaked from tears.

"Lei!" Nettie exclaimed. "Where the hell were you?" Leila hurried over to her sister and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"I was so scared!" Leila cried. "I knew it wasn't real, but everyone was telling me I wasn't supposed to exist anymore... I wanted to just end it." Leila looked up to Damon, who was watching her with concerned eyes.

"But you're okay now? No more hallucinations?" he asked.

Leila took a step back from Nettle. "No more hallucinations," she said.

* * *

><p>One week later:<p>

Nettie had been thinking more and more about her future as her 18th birthday grew nearer. Leila and Nettie would be graduating soon and nothing was planned. She was nervous about so many things, things that would change.

What was Leila going to do now that she was a vampire? Was she planning on going to college? Exploring the world? Did she want to do things with Nettie like they had always talked about growing up?

No, things were different now. Nettie could feel it. Leila and Damon weren't dating but they had grown closer over the past few weeks. Soon Nettie was sure they would become something more then just friends who couldn't admit their feelings to each other.

Nettie sighed, flipping through her emails. As per usual she had five emails all from the adoption agency. For about a year they had been spamming her inbox. Every few months Nettie would select them all and hit delete. She didn't need to hear that her adoption had fallen through or that her parents wanted her back. But now that she was so close to her independence she didn't feel so afraid.

Dear Nettie Maxwell:

Mystic Falls adoption society wishes to extend their best wishes on becoming an adult citizen. Soon you will be out on your own.

It is unknown why we have not been able to get in contact with Holly Maxwell or yourself but it was requested that on your eighteenth birthday that we do so. Upon turning eighteen you must pay a visit to the law offices of Germaine and Wright. Contact info included below.

We wish you the best of luck on your life out in the world.

Mystic Falls Secretary of internal adoption affairs

Candice Frost

Nettie sighed, she wasn't sure what waited for her at the law office, but maybe if it held some idea of why she had been placed up for adoption then maybe it would be worth it. She would have to figure all this out sooner or later, right?

* * *

><p>Jeremy and Damon had been training in the middle of nowhere for a few weeks. But with each kill he barley grew much of the map they all required to find the cure. They were all getting rather bored waiting for something so big.<p>

Nettie was happy enough to destroy the cure along with Klaus. This was a big reason why she was happy they sided with him on their little adventure. Stefan wanted the cure for Elena but if Nettie had anything to do with it, Elena wouldn't be human anytime soon. It wasn't personal. But if someone got their hands on it then who knew what would happen?

* * *

><p>"Well Klaus had the sword. But Kol still wants to murder you so maybe leaving here isn't the best idea right now little Gilbert." Damon said, shoving his phone into his pocket.<p>

"How else can we get the cure if I am stuck here unable to kill vampires?" Jeremy asked him. He needed to save his sister. It was all he could think of these days.

"I have a master plan... I always do," Damon gave Jeremy a cocky grin. "Patience."

* * *

><p>Nettie grumbled to herself ask she walked around the giant house by herself. It was her birthday and she was all alone. Leila was out meeting Damon and Jeremy out at the cabin. Elena was off with Stefan, helping Klaus with Kol. The only two people Nettie could spend her day with were Caroline and Bonnie. But she didn't really feel the need to party.<p>

She had made an appointment with the law office and couldn't help but feel nervous about it. She didn't need anyone around her to make it worse. She could do this.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She wondered if she should have told Leila about the letters she had gotten. But until she could be sure everything was alright she would keep it to herself.

She hadn't purchased her own car just yet so she was stuck taking the bus. It meant she had to leave much earlier to get there. But once she finally got to the small family owned law office she was bang on time.

* * *

><p>Leila pulled up next to the cabin Elena had given her directions to. She killed the engine of the beater car and climbed out, looking around the immediate area for any sign of Damon, Matt or Jeremy. She hurried to the front door and knocked. Jeremy answered, smiling. "Leila, what are you doing here?" he asked her.<p>

"Just checking up on you guys. Three men in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere can get boring, right?" she asked. She looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, right, come on in," Jeremy said, stepping aside.

Leila entered the Gilbert's cabin. She had to admit, the place was gorgeous. It was a nice little place for secret vampire hunter training.

Matt was sitting on the couch, watching television. He greeted Leila with a smile as she passed, searching for Damon. They hadn't spoken in a while and she wondered if she had done something to upset him.

Mostly he seemed worried about her when something happened to her. But when nothing was wrong he avoided her. She was sure it was because of their little make out session back at the rager. But what she didn't know was what it had meant to him? Was she just filler after Elena? Or was what happened scary to him? She wasn't sure how long she could wait to figure it out.

"Damon?" she called, as she approached a room with an open door. "Damon you in here?" Leila stepped into a bedroom. She found a leather jacket tossed on the end of the bed. "Damon?" Leila found the walk-in closet door open, the light on inside.

Damon was bent looking through his bags. "What are you doing here?" He asked her, his tone a bit annoyed. But he pulled on a black fitted shirt and followed her out into the room. "Jeremy isn't exactly up for company Leila."

Leila furrowed her brow, frowning. "Why are you being such an ass?" she asked.

"This is me, not really a surprise Leila." He muttered, grabbing his jacket and heading for the front door. Once they were on the porch he felt a little calmer.

Leila crossed her arms. "I'm confused... Help me out here, because I thought you and I were friends... You're acting like I don't mean anything to you anymore... Just the other week, you seemed to care." She tapped her foot on the wooden porch.

Damon definitely remembered what had happened. He couldn't seem to forget it. But there was nothing here for him. He wasn't like Stefan, there wasn't a girl out there who would ever really love him. He was meant for one night stands. He didn't know what to say to her at this point.

"What? You won't even answer me now? You know I wanted nothing more than what happened back in that stupid bathroom you idiot. I forgave you for everything." She breathed heavily, "If it didn't mean anything to you that's fine but I need to know that Damon. We aren't five years old here."

Damon felt his face grow hot with anger as he turned to look at the girl, "You think I don't want it?" He asked her. "But I don't deserve it. I am not a good man Leila. Just because I do a few nice things doesn't change who I am."

Leila dropped her hands to her side. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Damon..." she sighed, but there was something else in her tone. She moved towards him, putting her arms around his waist, placing her head on his chest. "Damon please... Don't push me away." She hated what had to be said next but it needed to be, "I'm not Katherine. I'm not Elena. Please don't act as if you know what I would do. If this is something then I promise I won't be going anywhere. No lies."

Damon sighed, his hands moving to hold her. He wasn't sure what he was agreeing to but he knew one thing; he cared about her.

* * *

><p>Nettie stepped into the office, and she felt uncomfortable the moment she did. Places like this weren't places she were familiar with. She avoided governmental offices as often as she could. She and the government just didn't get along.<p>

She approached the counter, looking to a woman in a pin-stripe suit. "Uh, Nettle Maxwell... I was told to come here? I made an appointment."

"Ah yes, Nettle." The woman typed something on her computer. "Mister Wright will take you in Room 102." She smiled, and Nettie could tell it was a fake, plastered on smile. The same smile all business people gave the mid-class people who came into their offices.

Nettie sat down awkwardly and glared at the man. He was short and fat. He had a large bald spot on the top of his head and he combed the side up to try and hide it. "So.. Miss Maxwell." He dug through a thick layer of papers, pulling a thick stack from his pile. "Ah yes, here it is."

"Here is what?" She said, folding her hands in her lap. She shook her leg nervously.

"Your one lucky girl Miss Maxwell." He said, flipping through papers.

"Am I? Who decided that?" She asked him rudely.

He raised his brow and looked back at her. "Your parents have left you quite a large sum of money Miss Maxwell."

She got up and walked towards the desk, grabbing the papers from the man. "How much money?" She scanned the pages. Her eyes widened when she saw the number. "How is this even possible? Why would my parents leave me with my adopted family if they had all this?" She demanded. She felt anger fall over her. Why had she been left behind.

"Look Miss Maxwell, I only know what is written in those documents." He pointed to the chair. "Your parents aren't alive anymore. This document is their will. Everything they owned, all the money they had in trust goes to you on your 18th birthday. That's it."

She stared at him in shock.

"In that pile you will find the deed to two properties, a large storage unit and all the banking information you will need to access this money."

"Two properties?" She repeated.

"That is what I said Miss Maxwell. One right here in Mystic Falls, the other is a property in the South." He pointed to the real estate listings. "The tax payments are made automatically every month from this account." He pointed to another paper.

"So that is it? No information on who they were? What my real name might be? Nothing?" She stammered. The houses, the storage unit, the money didn't much matter right now. She wanted to know why her parents were gone and how she was this way?


End file.
